Monthly Archives: August 2009

Kihnu Island in the Baltic

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Kihnu lies 12 km (7 mi) off the coast of Estonia and is the largest of more than a dozen islands in the reefs and shallows of the Gulf of Riga. It is 16 sq km (6 sq mi) in area with a low ridge running down the middle and only 9 m (30 ft) above sea level at its highest point.

The island farmsteads are enclosed by forest, which prevents soil erosion as well as protecting the islanders from the bitter northeast winds.

Huge broadleaf trees stand like sentinels in the coastal meadowlands that lead to a 36 km (22 mi) long shoreline of dunes and shifting sands where the scent of juniper is everywhere in the air. The island is a nesting place for hundreds of bird species and the coastal reef is home to the last grey seal colony in the Baltic.

The first historical documents relating to Kihnu date from the late 14th century but excavations show that the island was inhabited, at least during the summer months, from around 1500 BC.

It has at various times been under Danish, Swedish, Estonian, Polish and Russian rule, reflecting the turbulent history of the Baltic.

Since time immemorial the men here have been seafarers and fishermen, skilled at woodwork and shipbuilding, while the women are wholly responsible for working the land and keeping alive the rich island culture of music, dance and poetry.

A trip to Kihnu transports you back in time into a fascinating folk culture. The inhabitants speak their own language and wear traditional homespun costume. Each woman makes her familys clothes with intricately knitted, woven and embroidered patterns symbolising ancient legends.

The islanders are symbiotically bound up with their harsh environment, their survival entirely dependent upon cultural loyalty and community sharing. Against all odds, they have managed to hang onto their heritage at the same time as welcoming strangers to their shores.

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Using a Flash Indoors

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Over the years, youve probably seen plenty of indoor flash pictures that have a pitch black background and a washed-out, overexposed foreground. Many factors conspire to produce these stark, unflattering shots, but one of the major contributors is, once again, your camera thinking on its own. Youre letting it decide when to turn on the flash and which shutter speed to use.

First of all, you dont always need the flash. Indoor photography offers many opportunities for stunning existing-light portraits and moody interior shots. And when you do have to turn on the flash, you can make certain adjustments to preserve the ambiance of the room so that your background doesnt fall into a black hole.

Flash shots may have a pitch-black background for a couple of reasons. The first problem is that the light from a typical digital cameras flash reaches only about 2 to 3 metres. Anything beyond this range, and youve got yourself an accidental ambient-light photo.

If your camera has a manual mode that allows you to dictate both the aperture (f stop) and shutter speed, you can easily overcome these problems.

Once in manual mode, try this combination as a starting point for flash photography indoors:

• Set your film speed to 100
• Set the aperture (f-stop) to f-5.6.
• Set the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second.
• Use the forced-flash mode. (Dont use the red-eye reduction feature)

When you use these settings, hold the camera as steady as possible or better yet, use a tripod. At these slow shutter speeds, your shots are more vulnerable to camera shake, and therefore to blurriness. Your flash will help freeze everything in its range, but the background, not illuminated by the flash, may blur if the camera isnt steady.

If your camera doesnt have a manual mode, all is not lost. Almost every consumer model has a night time or stow-synchro mode (look for a stars over a mountain icon). The intention of this mode is to let you shoot portraits at twilight. But you can also use Nighttime mode indoors to open up the background. Granted, you dont have as much control with this setting as you do with manual mode, but you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

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People Pictures: How to Really Get Rid of the Dreaded Red Eye

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For years now, film and digital camera makers have been forcing red-eye reduction settings on their customers. Its a series of bright, strobing flashes thats not only annoying to the people youre photographing, but doesnt even work very well.

What causes red eye? In a dimly lit environment, the subjects pupil expands, revealing more of the retina. The back of the retina has blood vessels over it, hence the red colour that is caused when the light bounces of the back of the eye.

On cameras where the flash is close to the camera lens (as it almost always is), the light from the flash shines through the dilated pupil, bounces off the retina, and reflects as a red circle directly back into the lens. (the same thing happens to animals, too, except that the colour is sometimes green or orange instead of red.)

The best solution is to move the flash away from the camera lens or use bounce flash. That way, the reflection from the retina doesnt bounce directly back at the camera. But on a camera that fits in your pocket, its not practical to achieve much separation of flash and lens.

Since camera manufacturers couldnt move the flash away, they went to Plan B: firing the flash just before the shutter snaps, in theory contracting the subjects pupils, thereby revealing less retina.

Unfortunately, it doesnt work very well, and you may wind up with red eye anyway. The other problem is that some people see the pre-flash as the picture being taken and then move while the shutter is open. Not a good result.

Basically you have three ways out of red eye. You can turn up the lights to help contract the subjects pupils. You could also use a camera that accepts an external, detachable flash. And if none of that works, remember that you can edit out red eye on your computer, using for example, the red eye reduction tools offered in most photo editing programs.

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Rottnest Island Western Australia

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Sitting on the edge of the Australian continental shelf near Perth in western Australia, Rottnest Island is just 11 km (6 mi) long and 4.5 km (2.7 mi) at its widest point. An iconic holiday destination for Perth residents, with 70 per cent of visitors coming for a day out, the entire island is run as a nature reserve and the surrounding waters as a marine park.

Known to local Aboriginal people as Wadjemup, the island is believed to be a place of spirits and is of significance to the Aboriginal communities. Artifacts have been found at a number of sites on Rottnest Island which are at least 6,500 years old, and possibly older, so there were indigenous people living here before sea levels rose and the island was separated from the mainland.

The first Europeans to discover the island were Dutch navigators who were searching for a shorter route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia in the 17th century. At that time the island was uninhabited. Samuel Volkerson was the first European to actually land on the island in 1658. William de Vlamingh visited in 1696 and named the island Rottnest after the abundance of Quokkas (small marsupials) he saw, mistaking them for rats.

Other Europeans soon followed, believing the island had potential for salt harvesting, farming and fishing. From 1839 for almost a century the island housed a penal colony for Aboriginal men and boys. When the colony closed, the leisure potential of the island was realized and tourism took off.

The island is best explored by bicycle as private cars are not allowed. The 24-km (15-mi) route around the coast runs through some of the most beautiful scenery, passing small, sandy beaches in secluded coves. The island has a total of 63 beaches and 20 bays, some of the finest in the world, and the turquoise water makes swimming here a must.

There are lovely reefs here, with twenty species of colourful corals and 364 species of fish, which can be explored by snorkelling, diving or a trip in a glass-bottomed boat. There are also a number of shipwrecks close to the shore, making diving here a popular pastime. Look out for humpback whales, green and loggerhead turtles, rays and bottlenose dolphins.

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Norfolk Island

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A tiny jewel set in the blue seas of the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is just 8 km (5 mi) long, and 1,600 km (994 mi) northeast of Sydney, Australia.

It is the biggest of a cluster of three islands on the Norfolk Ridge, fringed by coral reefs and crowned by pristine rainforest and some of the worlds tallest tree ferns.

On 10 October 1774, James Cook first landed on this beautiful little island and named it in honour of the then Duchess of Norfolk.

Convicts started to arrive 14 years later and over time it gained quite a harsh reputation, becoming known as hell in the Pacific.

Then in 1856, descendants of the Bounty mutineers with their Tahitian wives and children sailed for five weeks from Pitcairn Island to settle on Norfolk Island. These new settlers brought with them a distinct culture and language, and many held mutineers names such as Adams, Buffett, Christian and McCoy. From that day, Norfolk Island began its steady climb out of hell and into heaven.

Once sustained by agriculture and fishing, visitors now keep the island alive. But traditional culture remains deep rooted with dancing, singing and a unique cuisine. Banana dumplings, fried fish and Hihi pie, concocted with periwinkles, can be sampled at one of the fine restaurants scattered across the island.

The blue waters around Norfolk Island are teeming with fish, and there are countless fishing charters and scuba-diving trips out to the reef to explore this kaleidoscope underwater world. In the sheltered waters of Emily Bay, you can also indulge in some lazy swimming and snorkeling, and endless relaxation.

Norfolk Island is favoured by well-heeled Australians and New Zealanders, and a few millionaires have migrated to this tax-free haven. There are over 70 low-tax shops and many eager customers. Yet the island seems to balance the old and the new perfectly honouring its Pitcairn people, its rich environment and its visitors.

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The Republic of Mauritius

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Part of the Mascarene Islands, the Republic of Mauritius is off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, 900 km (560 mi) east of Madagascar. The republic consists of five islands: St Brandon, Rodrigues, two Agalegas Islands and Mauritius itself.

The latter was originally uninhabited, but the Dutch named the island and established a colony that was seized by the French in 1715. They renamed the place Ile de France and built a prosperous economy based on sugar. But the British took the island in 1810 and it reverted to the original name.

Independence was granted in 1968 and this Commonwealth country is a stable democracy with one of Africas highest per capita incomes. This might be guessed by a visitor to Port Louis, who finds a sophisticated place with a cluster of high and medium rise buildings that might be mistaken from afar as the downtown area of a small American city, were it not for its location beside the azure Indian Ocean, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

Tourism has become an increasingly important sector of the economy, which had hitherto been based on sugar plantations and off-shore financial services.

The effort to attract visitors is proving successful, and might not even need the boost of a move to duty-free status. Mauritius is the most accessible island in the Indian Ocean, with wonderful beaches and crystal-clear waters.

Important though these essential ingredients of every tropical holiday destination may be, Mauritius has something extra, friendly people and a vibrant cultural mix that will leave a long-lasting impression.

There is a festival or fiesta practically every week and a tempting variety of ethnic food choices. The place must be good. Famous writer Mark Twain remarked that Mauritius was made before heaven, and heaven modeled on Mauritius.

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Aldabra Atoll

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Aldabra Atoll is a member of the Aldabra Group, one of the archipelagos of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. The second largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati, Aldabra is the coraline tip of a volcanic sea mount, rising from depths of 4,000 to 4,500m (13,120 to 14,760 ft). At 34 km (21 mi) long, 14.5 km (9 mi) wide and just 8 in (26 ft) above sea level, the atoll consists of four coral limestone islands forming a circle around a lagoon of 224 sq km (86 sq mi).

The lagoon is tidal and two thirds of its water recedes back to the ocean at low tide. Aldabra was given World Heritage status in 1982 to protect its delicate natural environment.

Because the atoll is so isolated, many of its species of flora and fauna are found only here. The islets and rocky outcrops in the lagoon provide nesting areas for thousands of birds.

It has possibly the largest population of red-tailed tropic birds and the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world. Many other birds are found here also, including the Aldabra flightless rail, the only flightless bird found on any Indian Ocean island.

The Aldabran giant tortoises are, however, the atolls most renowned residents, being the last of the giant tortoises which were once spread across the entire region. Commercial exploitation is believed to have made all other giant tortoises in the area wiped out by the mid-19th century, and very nearly exterminated the Aldabran population. Two species of marine turtle also nest on beaches on Aldabra: the green turtle and hawksbill turtle.

Unlike the nearby Seychelles, the atoll is inhospitable to humans as the limestone has been eroded into sharp spikes and water-filled pits. However, the mangroves support fish nurseries, and the lagoon is home to a wealth of marine life, from black-tipped reef sharks to eagle rays and parrot fish.

For almost a century, scientists have been studying the flora and fauna of the atoll, which is uninhabited other than by those working at the scientific research station.

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The Canaries – Islands of the Dogs

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The Canaries are a group of seven volcanic islands off the Atlantic coast of North Africa. They cover a total area of 7,450 sq km (2,900 sq ml) featuring some of the worlds most stunning scenery. Each island has its own individual landscape and flora and fauna, ranging from the desert of Fuerteventura to the lush mountainous forest of La Gomera. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the cosmopolitan capital of the archipelago, reputed to have the best climate in the world.

The name Islas Canarias is likely derived from the Latin term Insula Canaria, meaning Island of the Dogs. It is speculated that the so called dogs were actually a species of Monk Seals which are now extinct.

The Spanish first occupied the Canaries in 1402, but it took the better part of a century to gain complete control of this strategic point on the Atlantic trade route. For the next 300 years, the islands grew increasingly wealthy from trading profits until, in the 19th century, a recession led to mass emigration to America. The development of the tourist industry eventually turned the tide and today, around 10 million tourists visit the islands every year.

Tenerife, the largest island, has the most varied landscape. It has a landscape of fertile valleys, steep cliffs and wide sandy beaches dominated by the towering outline of El Teide, the third largest volcano on earth at 3,718 m (12,195 ft) high. La Palma, the green island, has the worlds largest volcanic crater, La Caldera del Taburiente with a diameter of 9 km (6 ml) and a depth of 770 m (2,525 ft).

The smallest island, Hierro is also the rockiest with a dramatic coastline plunging straight into the sea. Lanzarote is the most extraordinary of all. It boasts a surreal volcanic landscape of petrified lava from 18th and 19th century eruptions. The stark beauty of its eerily empty scenery, dotted with ancient vineyards, brilliant coloured flowers and sparkling white houses is unlike anywhere else on the planet. Visiting these islands is a truly memorable experience.

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The Lake Islands of Sweden

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Lake Malaren is the third largest lake in Sweden, next to the city of Stockholm. The lakes area is 1,140 square km and its greatest depth is 64 metres. Its many islands contain an incredibly rich heritage, a breathtakingly lush historical landscape with palaces, old churches, rune stones, forty castles, and two World Heritage Sites – the Palace of Drottningholm on the island of Lovo and the Viking sites of Birka on Bjorkb and HovgArden on Adelso.

The Royal domain of Drottningliolm with its Chinese pavilion, wooden theatre, and Baroque gardens is a stunning 17th century palace complex, modeled on Versailles and set in the pastoral landscape of Lovo. Birka, Swedens most ancient city, and one of its most famous ancient monuments, is situated on Bjorko — an island that today has a romantic, desolate air about it.

Birka was founded at the end of the 8th century and for nearly 200 years was at the centre of European trade In the late tenth century the build up of silt made the lake too shallow for ships to negotiate and the city was abandoned.

Hovgarden, the kings farm on the neighbouring island of Adelso, remained in use until the late Middle Ages. Today these lovely islands are beautiful places in which to walk and cycle as well as see the incredibly well preserved Viking ruins.

The landscape of Lake Malaren was formed at the end of the lee Age when the land started to rise as a result of the gradual melting of the ice-cap lifting the tons of pressure that had been bearing down on it.

Quite apart from the cultural heritage contained in these islands, the moraine ridges and lush valleys are scenically lovely. They include rolling farmland dotted with oak trees, pine forest on rocky hills, and trees and grasses growing right down to the waterline.

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Munich: Beer, Bavarians and Business

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munich-beer-girlMunich is packed with shaded beer gardens, magnificent public spaces and buildings with ornate stucco facades. Tradition and modernism rub shoulders in Munich as in no other German city.

The small town charm of many Munich districts stands in great contrast with the hectic pace of big city life on the Marienplatz or along the sidewalks of Maximilian Street. Quite aside from the famed Oktoberfest held each autumn, this city on the Isar River offers visitors a wealth of architectural treasures. During the years of the last century, Munich has become one of Germanys most important media and commercial centres. Munichs unique combination of laptops and lederhosen have made the city one of the most popular business and holiday destinations in Europe.

From Petersbergl to Munich.
Monks settled on the Isar in the eighth century, building Tegernsee Monastery at the place they called Petersbergl. The crypt of the church of St. Peter, Munichs oldest, dates back to the early Middle Ages. In the twelfth century Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, constructed the city of Munich around St. Peters. Under the command of this powerful duke, Munich became an important city. It was the official residence of the Bavarian dukes from 1255 and named the capital city of Bavaria in 1506.

A square for football celebrations.
Just as Munich is the heart of Bavaria, the Marienplatz is the heart of the city, the most popular and best known of the many squares in Munich. The new city hall is on the north side of the square, with the old city hall, the Rathaus, on its eastern side. St. Peters is just a few meters away. The famous and beloved Bayern Munchen football team has traditionally celebrated its championship titles on the Marienplatz with thousands of enthusiastic fans.

Munich conjures up images of Oktoberfest, the Hofbrauhaus, noisy beer gardens and people wearing lederhosen and dirndl. All of these images are accurate, but Munich is more than simply a museum of Bavarian traditions. The city is one of Germanys most important publishing and television centres, for example. Many publishing houses, radio and television stations, film production companies and recording studios are headquartered in the media city of Munich. As a result, Munich is home to more actors, artists, television executives and stars than any other German city.

Summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs.
The celebrities of the past, the Bavarian dukes, princes and kings, also resided in Munich. Their legacy has left the city with many fascinating historical attractions. There are so many to choose from, visitors may have a hard time deciding which of the many sights to head for first.

Nymphenburg Palace and its park should be near the top of the list. The former summer residence of the Bavarian rulers, Schloss Nymphenburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bavaria today. Its elaborate interior furnishings, including King Ludwig Is almost surreally ornate Gallery of Beauties should not be missed.

Symbol of Munich.
The twin towers of Munichs most famous symbol, the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), are 99 metres tall. Duke Sigismund laid the cornerstone of Munichs most beloved church on 9 February 1468. Today the Frauenkirche is officially the Cathedral Church of the Archbishops of Munich and Freisling. Its towers can be seen for miles around, is in part because the city administration prohibits the construction of any building within Munichs central ring taller than 99 metres. New construction of taller buildings further away from the centre has been permitted in the past, but is currently under review. Only the south tower of the Frauenkirche can be climbed. It offers a unique view of Munich, its surroundings, and the nearby Alps, which on clear days appear to be close enough to touch.

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Not Just a Matchmaking Site, but a Real Community

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web-chatWatcherswebClubhouse.Com is not just your average swingers or dating site. It has a community spirit about it.

Established in 2001, WatcherswebClubhouse.Com was developed for the existing members of Watchersweb.Com (an adult voyeur website with over 100,000 members), hence the community atmosphere.

From its early conception, WatcherswebClubhouse.Com has been community driven with message board moderators being the Clubhouse members themselves.

In 2003 webcam chat was added to WatcherswebClubhouse.Com so members could chat online. Once again moderators were chosen from existing members and not paid outside sources.

WatcherswebClubhouse.Com has had some facelifts over the years, and to date currently boasts over 1,000,000 members. Jump into chat on a regular basis and you will get to know the locals. Share a beer on a Friday night with Johnny007, or play your favourite tune in the music room, and watch the scarcely clad woman groove along to your tune. (Yeah, thats right, you be the DJ).

WatcherswebClubhouse.Com is definitely naughty and very seductive. So weather youre a couple, looking for a little more spice, or a single looking to meet new adult web cam friends, WatcherswebClubhouse.Com is certainly a website worth taking a look at.

Join in the quizzes or partake in the best Halloween costume competitions. And with regular competitions taking place, you may even find yourself winning, and earning some BIG Dollars.

Basic membership to the site is FREE, which still allows you into the webcam chat room. Paid memberships are extremely affordable in comparison to other dating sites.

And because WatcherswebClubhouse.Com is an International Dating, Swinger and Community site, you can literally meet anyone, from anywhere.

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Rhode Island USA

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Everyone is aware that Rhode Island, actually the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is the smallest state in the USA. But not everyone knows that the state and island that gives it a colloquially abbreviated name are not one and the same.

Indeed, the Rhode Island part of the longest state name in America is unofficially called Aquidneck Island to distinguish from the state as a whole.

Now thats cleared up, what of Aquidneck Island? It is the largest of several in Narragansett Bay, with its southern shore overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The area of this well developed island is 117 sq km (45 sq ml) and it is connected to the mainland by three bridges.

The Newport Bridge terminates at Jamestown on nearby Conanicut Island, and then on to the mainland on the western side of the bay. The Mount Hope Bridge in Portsmouth connects the northern side of the island with Bristol. The same area is served by the Sakonnet River Bridge over a narrow saltwater channel to Tiverton. The nearby Stone Bridge was destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The island is divided into three municipalities: Newport, Middleton and Portsmouth.

The islands population shrank by a fifth in the ten years after the US Navy reorganized its major base at Newport in 1973, but is growing again, with over half its area now built over as housing demand increases. But wetland and woodland still occupy a third of the island and there is an active preservation society trying to keep it that way.

After the naval base, the islands principal revenue generator is tourism. Narragansett Bay is a honeypot for visitors and they come to Rhode Island principally for the beaches and coastline, enjoying related aquatic activities like sailing, kayaking, sailboarding, diving and fishing.

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Whats the Big Deal with Designer Bikinis?

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microWhats the big deal with designer bikinis? I hear you ask! In recent times designer bikinis have gained massive popularity with women around the world. With the millions of different styles and colour combinations available the choices seem really endless. These bikinis can range from the standard one-piece swimsuit that covers most of the body, to g-string bikinis to suit women with exotic tastes, and also two piece bikinis that complement any body type, size and skin tone.

Contrary to common belief, G-string bikinis are growing more and more popular every year, even during winter! This type of swimsuit can make you look super sexy on the beach and also help avoid the dreaded tan lines that the one-piece swimsuit seems to have no solution for.

A great advantage of opting for designer bikinis is that you can mix and match the top and the bottom. So go ahead and explore different colours, sizes, shades, and designs and before you know it you have a winner that is guaranteed to turn heads in the beach. With summer not too far away this may be the best time to get in shape and do your homework to find the perfect bikini, and who knows, you may even consider entering a bikini contest and showing the competition what being sexy is all about!

Other options include string bikinis (also known as micro bikinis ), which cover very little of the body. As with choosing a regular designer bikini you should try out different colours first. Keep this little tip in mind… if you are already tanned then opt for lighter colours (I find the lime or hot pink looks really good with a tanned skin). Lastly, if you feel uncomfortable wearing your string bikini in public then dont as it defeats the purpose of why you bought them in the first place.

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Brazils Florianopolis Island

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Florianopolis, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, is located on the wonderful island of Santa Catarina, which is itself widely referred to as Florianopolis.

This throbbing location has the highest standard of living of any in Brazil, and the residents know how to enjoy themselves.

The island is famous for its long stretches of sugar-soft sandy beaches, excellent seafood and traditional Azorean hospitality. The tropical climate, exotic landscapes and lay back way of life make the island a firm favourite with holidaying Brazilians, but it is also becoming more and more popular with the international crowd.

Most of the population lives on the north end of the island. Although originally settled by the Portuguese who came from the Azores, the city has strong German and Italian influences.

In the high season, from December to February, the population of the city trebles and the beaches closest to the city centre, Canasvieiras, Jurure and Praia dos Ingleses, are packed with tanning bodies. But there are plenty more not far away.

To the east the lush green hills give way to the wide, sandy beaches of Galheta, Mole and Joaquina. Here the big, exciting waves attract surfers looking for that perfect ride. In the south-east of the island looking out into the Atlantic are the rugged, deserted beaches of Campeche, Armacao, Lagoinha do Leste and Naufragios, which can only be reached by trail.

Ribeirao da Ilha, on the west side of the island, bears testament to Azorean immigration. The beautifully maintained Azorean and Portuguese fishing villages boast colourful buildings and friendly locals. The historic centre, in Frequesia, has an attractive plaza with the Igreja Nossa Senhora, da Lapa do Ribeirao church, and an interesting Ethnological Museum. The area is accessible only via a narrow, winding and picturesque seaside track affording stunning vistas of Baia Sul and the lush hills of the mainland across the bay.

The Lagoa da Conceicao is a famous tourist attraction in the middle of the island. The large lagoon is partially surrounded by sand dunes and its shallow waters and high winds make it perfect for wind-surfing. Here are also some of the best restaurants and nightlife on the island.

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