Backpackingmatt

Friday Travel Photo: Piss – Prague, Czech Republic

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you to the Czech Republic’s capital city of Prague.

Prague is the geographical center of Europe and one of continent’s most beautiful cities.  Praha is filled with friendly people, world-renowned Czech Pilsner beer, and a stunning range of architecture – Renaissance, Gothic, cubist and neoclassical all sit side-by-side. Did I mention the world-famous Czech beer?

This statue is found outside of the Kafka Museum in the Mala Strana neighborhood of Prague.  It’s called Piss and was designed and created by Czech sculptor David Cerny. Two sculptures stand in an enclosure filled with water. These moving sculptures pee streams of water that write quotes from famous Prague residents. A sign next to the statue gives you a number that you can text messages to. After sending the text, the statues stop and ‘write’ your message.

Some unique artwork to say the least.

Prague is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most popular cities and swells with tourists during the hot summer months. Don’t miss Prague’s famous Charles Bridge – but take a stroll across it at night to avoid the crowds.

Have you been to Prague? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Do you have a photo and brief write-up you’d like featured here? Email it to matt [at] backpackingmatt [dot] com

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Puffin Watching: Isle of Staffa, Scotland

A trip to Scotland’s West Coast should include a visit to the beautiful Isle of Mull – a peaceful island home to the Tobermory Distillery. Tobermory itself is a quaint little village situated on a fishing harbor that is lined with brightly colored buildings.

It’s a terrific village where you could very easily waste away a week or more.

While you’re visiting the Isle of Mull, one thing you have to fit into your budget is a day trip to the Isle of Staffa. The Isle of Staffa is a small rocky island off the west coast of Mull that is home to a fascinating and comical seabird – the Puffin. These small little birds are often called sea parrots because of their vivid colors.

To get to the Isle of Staffa, you’ll have to take a ferry and guided tour from the Ulva Ferry Terminal which is a scenic one our drive from Tobermory. Along the way, you’ll pass famed highland cattle and many single track roads.

There are thousands of puffins found throughout Britain yet they are often very difficult to spot. Puffins spend much of their time off shore and only come ashore to breed in early April. From April until late July is the best time to spot the puffins while they’re feeding and taking care of their young.

Puffins are not known for being the most graceful fliers. With the help of their short wings and fat bodies, they really seem to struggle when flying around. I’m no bird-watcher, yet I found it absolutely fascinating to watch the little birds flap around the island. You would never expect the wee things to be able to migrate thousands of miles each year.

After we arrived at Staffa and were ferried to shore on a small dingy, we clammored up to the cliff tops where the baby puffins nested. They choose to nest at the tops of steep cliffs of inaccessible islands – it’s because of this that puffins are often times so difficult to view. The Puffin will lay a lone egg and hatch one chick each year in a burrow dug into the ground and return to the same hole year after year. We were asked to not get to close to these burrows to respect the young, yet you could hear their high pitch squeaking as they were waiting for their mother to bring them their food.

They are fed a diet of sand eels by their parents for about six weeks. After this time, they are abandoned by their parents. Sooner or later, nature results in the baby puffins leaving their burrow out of desperate hunger in the cover or darkness where they will attempt at flying to find their own food. Needless to say, they don’t have ample time to learn how to fly or survive on their own.

What I found most shocking about the puffins was their tameness. They would fly to within three or four feet of where we were viewing their behavior. It was strangely therapeutic to sit in the warm sun (rare for Scotland!), feeling the breeze of the sea, and watching the fascinating and colorful little animals.

The tour was operated by Turus Mara and they provided an excellent experience overall. Our captain provided heaps of information about the area’s history, puffins in general, and did a terrific job to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. While we didn’t see any other marine wildlife, there were chances of seeing Bottlenose dolphins, whales, and seals. A tour to the Isle of Staffa lasts four hours and will cost you £25.

Technorati Tags: Puffins, Scotland, Travel Advice

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Friday Travel Photo: Reykjavik, Iceland

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you to Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik. Marcello (@wanderingtradr) from The Wandering Trader shot this photo on the shore walk in Reykjavik on his first day in the country.

For some more great Iceland content, check out Twenty-Something Travel.

Are you interested in having your photo featured here? Email the photo and details to matt [at] backpackingmatt [dot] com

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Friday Travel Photo: Sicily, Italy

Today’s Friday Travel Photo was taken somewhere on the largest island in the Mediterranean – Sicily. Like much of Italy, the Sicilian region has many characteristics that are different than other regions in Italy. In some respects, a visit to Sicily is like a visit to a different country. Either way, it’s a beautiful place that begs to be explored.

Do you have a photo you’d like featured here? I’d love to post it with a link back to your blog. Email me at matt [at] backpackingmatt [dot] com

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Friday Travel Photo: Loch Ness, Scotland

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you Loch Ness in Scotland’s Highlands. Loch Ness is 23 miles long and 755 feet deep at its deepest point – so deep, that all the water in England and Wales would still not be enough to fill it.

If you’re visiting Edinburgh, consider getting out of the city on a day tour to Loch Ness.

If you’d like your travel photo featured on Backpackingmatt, send it to me at matt [at] backpackingmatt [dot] com

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Friday Travel Photo: Edinburgh Sunset

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Edinburgh is a fantastic city filled with cozy pubs, excellent gardens, and some great nightlife. If you’re visiting Edinburgh, don’t miss out on these three pubs – they’re excellent places to grab a pint or a plate of Scotland’s national dish: haggis.

If you have a bit of time, consider heading out of town on a day trip to Loch Ness.

Have a photo you’d like featured here? Email it to matt (at) backpackingmatt (dot) com and I’ll feature it with a link back to your blog.

Technorati Tags: edinburgh, Friday Travel Photo

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