Even those of us who have never traveled to Europe have obviously heard of Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome, and Madrid. The biggest European cities are also the biggest tourist destinations, for obvious reasons. However today we’d like to explore some cities that you may not have heard of, but offer their own European charm.

Are you an adventurer? Do you prefer to go off the beaten path when traveling abroad? Then you will love these five little secret getaways that are sure to please you and leave you wondering why you have never heard of them before. Below are five obscure gems that are worthy of a visit on your next trip to Europe.

Sperlonga, Italy

Most visitors and residents of Rome could find a close by beach but they won’t find one as beautiful or unique as Sperlonga. A like no other pedestrian only villa called Sperlonga Atla shows off a winding stone staircase down to the ocean. A visit to this amazing little known Italian beach town will take you on a back in time experience and adventure you may never want to leave.

For years, writers and artist have migrated to this tiny seaside fantasy where time seems to have stopped and the scenery is breathtaking with stunning pure white architecture nestled into a deep blue sea background. This scenic wonder is Italy’s best kept secret and will leave you in silent moments taking it all in.

Roquefort, France

A tour of the classic French village will mean absorbing delicious strong aromas from the caves of the most famous bleu cheese ever made. Tasting the locally produced Roquefort Cheese will have your tastebuds dancing and yearning for a nice finishing local wine.

After touring the famous cheese cellars you will find much more to do in this wonderful french region. It is very rich in religious architectural heritage and chateaus with history and art dating back to the middle ages. This city is home to such historic masterpieces as the Knight’s Templar and the Bastides of the Rouergue. Whether you go for the cheese or the historic beauty, a trip to Roquefort will be one of the most unique of your life.

Bonn, Germany

Bonn is more than just the birthplace of the famous composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. It offers the best of Riesling wines and local beers that will probably have you over consuming just a bit. A quaint city with very friendly locals and an even friendlier atmosphere makes Bonn one of Germany’s least known little gems that’s worth the 2 hour train trip out of Frankfurt. The countryside scenery alone along the way makes the train fare a bargain. Once you arrive in Bonn, the inner city transportation is great. Bonn offers trams, trains and subways at very reasonable rates day and night.

The city presents itself as an infrastructure of museums at every turn. Not just Beethoven’s home and museum, this little tucked away town that was temporarily the capital of Germany at one time offers so much historic culture and sights you will need to return more than once to take them all in.

If you happen to be lucky enough to visit in late February or early March you can experience the Karneval, a celebration of street parties and festivals that is comparable to a week long New Years Eve party. Music, theatre and cinema are also proud cultures of Bonn.

Bilbao, Spain

You can begin your adventure in this historic Basque city right in the center of town at the Seven Streets and Old Quarter enjoying the sites of historic buildings and churches, ancient architecture and archeology. After working up a great appetite you will find yourself in the right place for a hungry man. Famous for its delicious cuisine, the locals gather in small societal clubs to eat, drink, talk, sing and cook together. They have what is known as pintxos and txikiteo, respectively eating and drinking. The pintxos as the Basque Country locals refer to, is a small snack, what we may refer to in the America as ‘tapas’ and txikiteo are the small glasses of wine served with the pintxos.

A culinary adventure known as the pintxos trail is a mapped out trek of bars and restaurants with a taste at each stop. It is similar to what Americans call a “pub crawl”. You’ll experience a combination of delicious food and wine paired with the warm socializing locals, which make for a very memorable experience in this little known delicious section of Spain.

Galway City, Ireland

Galway is the Irish city of festivals. Be ready to party and celebrate when you land in this unique little seaside Irish village. Galway city is full of culture and sits beautifully on the western sea coast of the country. Breathtaking beaches give the peaceful atmosphere and appearance of being uninhabited for centuries. Just a few minutes inland you will find yourself in a cosmopolitan city atmosphere buzzing with huge crowds gathering for any of the many festivals and events held throughout the year. It seems there is always a reason to celebrate something in this charming seaside city.

The center of town is packed with colorful and busy cafes, bars, shops and boutiques. If the shopping, sightseeing and festivities wear you out, you’re always only a few steps away from the comfort of a cool pub with traditional Irish music and a refreshing pint of Guinness. In the evening you can stroll the scenic promenade for a spectacular sunset over Galway Bay and watch the salmon fishing boats come in from their days work.

On a nice sunny day in Galway City, the options are abundant. Relax on their spotless and scenic beaches or head into town where the streets come to life with street performers, locals and tourist enjoying festivities. If mother nature rains on your day, then a tour of the National Aquarium or City Museum will pleasantly take up an afternoon.

Photographing the moon at night can certainly be challenging. The blurry white blob in our photo often pales in comparison to what we see by the naked eye. As magical as night photography appears, it can be equally as tricky to accomplish well. Master a handful of night photography tips and watch your skill level improve. Use the summer months to learn. You’ll have favorable weather, extra hours of daylight, and plenty of opportunities to practice. By the end of the season, there’s no doubt you’ll have a stunning shot of the moon, the sky, or other night moments.

5 Key Night Photography Tips

First, tackle the technical hurdles that come with taking dark night summer pictures. The tallest obstacle is the lack of lighting. It creates a cascade of other potential issues. Without adequate lighting, you’ll struggle with noise, proper focus, harsh shadows, and white balance. Experienced professionals have figured out all the solutions – and you can, too. Simply follow these five-night photography tips:

1.   Switch to manual mode.

Many first-time photographers are tempted to shoot in automatic mode. But night photography is a different beast. Automatic mode at night can confuse a DSLR. The lack of light will have it choosing all the wrong settings. Make the switch to manual mode. This gives you full control over the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Manual mode might seem like more work, but is well worth the effort.

2.   Increase the ISO.

ISO determines your camera’s sensitivity to light. When the setting is dark, your camera is very sensitive to light. It’s why most night photography calls for a high ISO. A good starting point is 800. Be careful of noise or color variations. This is one of the trickier night photography tips, because it largely depends on your camera. Professional DSLR cameras can produce clear night photos at a high ISO. Others may take better shots with ISO set lower – around 100 or 200.

3.   Set a wide aperture.

Aperture size dictates how much light enters the lens. Since you’re working in the dark, use a wide opening to gather as much light as possible. Use a lens handle at least f/2.8 or f/4. Certain types of night photos call for a narrower aperture. Be prepared to adjust as needed.

4.   Choose a high-slow shutter speed.

Another night photography variable is shutter speed. Shooting summer landscapes at night requires long, slow shutter speeds. Set it to 10 seconds or higher. If the photo is too dark, increase it to 30 seconds. An exception is photographing urban areas with more available light. In city settings, select a faster shutter speed between two and 10 seconds.

5.   Use a tripod.

No matter how strong your hands are, they can’t keep a camera steady for 10 seconds or longer. You need a tripod. If you don’t have a tripod, find another flat, sturdy surface. Use whatever you can to keep the camera perfectly still.

Enchanting Summer Night Picture Ideas

Summer is the season for barbecuing on the back deck, sinking your toes into the sand, camping under the stars, and letting all your stress just melt away. So when it comes to capturing the moments of summer, you want the images to look exactly as you feel. Not sure where to start? Here are some unique night picture ideas that elicit those enchanting summer vibes.

Star trails: These are the light streaks that follow stars when you take long-exposure photos. Star trails create acontinuous circle, which illustrates the Earth’s rotation on its axis. To get that full, beautiful arc of light, a clear evening sky is key. Urban lights ruin this effect. Use a wide angle lens and a reliable camera timer or intervalometer. The idea is to stack exposures that were captured over a period of time. Set your camera timer for three to four hours and the exposure between 30 and 60 seconds. This should give you enough single exposures to create mesmerizing star trails.

Light painting: Similar to star trails, light painting captures light in motion. The difference is you can “paint” the light virtually anywhere. Consider wrapping light around a tree or drawing a heart around your subject’s face. Get creative. Once you have an idea, adjust your camera settings. For this technique, a small aperture is more appropriate. Choose f/11 or higher with a shutter speed between 10 and 30 seconds. LED lighting is sufficiently strong as a light source.

City lights: There’s a lot of activity to capture in a bustling city. Between the buildings, cars, street lanterns, and traffic signals, you’re working with an abundance of light. That means forgoing some of the traditional night photography tips. Consider a narrow aperture and lower ISO. What exactly should you photograph? Well-lit monuments and cool marquee signs are excellent beginner photographs. If you really want to capture the “wow-factor”, catch streaking lights from car headlights driving by.

Lightning: You don’t need luck to photograph lightning. You just need to be persistent. Set your camera to around ISO 600 and aperture to f/4. Stand in one spot and take as many 30-second exposures as you can. Start shooting before the lightning strikes to increase your chances of the perfect picture.

Fireworks: Summer is prime time to practice your fireworks photography. First, find your location. Set up in an open area where you can create a 45-degree angle between your tripod and the fireworks. Then, select ISO 100 and a fast shutter speed. A quick turnover will help capture those rapid starbursts. Better yet, use “Bulb” in manual mode. This allows you to control the shutter. When the fireworks begin, press the shutter release button and hold it down until the sequence ends.

Summer solstice: The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year. It occurs around the 20^th of June when Earth tilts toward the sun. This maximum tilt provides some of the best natural lighting for photography. Take advantage of the day and capture a collection of summer solstice pictures. These can be golden-hour selfies or landscape photos with a burst of light on the horizon.

Moon phases: You can photograph the moon any time of year. But clear summer skies give you an advantage. Take advantage of it, and don’t wait for a full moon. Each moon phase is unique. Keep in mind, the moon is a bright subject. Set your camera to ISO 100 or 200 and aperture between f/5.6 and f/11. Keep the shutter speed fast and use a wide-angle lens. The goal is to not overexpose the moon. Challenge yourself by creating moonstacks. This requires taking several photos of the moon as it moves through the sky (like star trails). Then, use your photo editing skills to layer them into one time-lapse image.

Campfire Nights: When taking pictures with fire as a light source, slow your shutter speed way down to allow time for the light to get recorded on the camera. Do that, and you’ll be taking fireside photos with friends like a pro!

Show Off Your New Skills

Practicing these night photography tips makes it easier to use them. More practice means more photos. The light-and-dark contrast in night photos is nothing short of miraculous. For that reason alone, they deserve to be prominently displayed in a custom-designed photo book. Using the Motif photo book app is easy. It works seamlessly as a native extension of Apple Photos. No exporting, transferring, or uploading necessary. Feature the progression of your night photography skills, or highlight the best of the best. Whatever you choose for your photo book, it will surely be a showstopper!

Are you travelling to the mountains in winter? Here are some tips that will keep you safe and healthy

Winter calls for travelling, to the mountains if you want to witness snow, and beaches if you want to escape the chilly weather. The tricky part is to take care of your health, especially when you are travelling to cold places.

If you are not familiar with the mountains, sudden drops in temperature or oxygen at high altitudes can be an issue. Here are a few health tips for you if you are travelling to the mountains in the winter season.

Hydration

While travelling to cold places, we often forget to drink water frequently. In most cases, we even avoid hydration in fear of not finding restrooms nearby to relieve ourselves.

However, our body can experience dehydration in the coldest of places too and it can make you feel lethargic. Therefore, drink enough water and juices to maintain optimum hydration.

Carry Medication

Since mountain regions have a sparse population, you might not be able to find a pharmacy nearby. Therefore, it is sound to travel with all your medication and carry extra if needed.

Since the world is again worried about Covid-19, it is safe to keep sanitisers and masks with you all the time. It will prevent you from frequently washing your hands in the chilly weather.

Layer, Layer & Layer

We cannot stress enough on this. You must layer your clothes as much as needed and carry extra if you think the weather might flip at any moment. The worst thing about travelling in the mountains is you cannot anticipate the weather.

The morning might seem sunny, but you never know when the chilly winds might find their way inside. It can quickly deteriorate your health, and your vacation could be spoiled.

Eat Frequently

We are not suggesting that you pack loads of food and keep having heavy meals. Rather we suggest that you pack light snacks and eat them in frequent intervals. For example, energy bars, nuts, biscuits, etc. can be your life saviours.

If your travel itinerary includes climbing mountains or exploring nearby destinations, you might not find dhabas or local eateries that frequently. In such a situation, snacks can come handy.

Keep A Moisturiser Handy

Winter means dry hands, face and skin. Therefore, you must always keep a moisturiser with you. If you are in some place where there is only snow around you, it is essential that you keep your gloves and face covers on.

In mountains, if the temperature remains at minus, the chances of getting frostbite can increase. Hence, you must be wary of your clothing and skin needs.

Keep Checking Weather Updates

As mentioned above, there is no predicting the weather in mountain areas by gasping at the mesmerising morning view of the sun peeking behind snow peaks.

Therefore, your only resort is checking the weather updates every 20 to 30 minutes, if you have cell reception. It can prevent you from taking the wrong route and can also gear you up for sudden weather changes.

Stay Inside Your Vehicle

God forbid if you get stuck at any point while travelling through rough, rocky and snow-capped terrain, you must stay inside the vehicle. It is the safest option to keep yourself warm.

It will prevent you from the extreme weather outside. Huddling with fellow passengers might save you from hypothermia. You must also ensure to keep the headlights of your vehicle on to ensure other vehicles coming from the front or behind can see yours.

No Balrogs on this list, so luckily we haven’t dug too deep and too greedily.

How low can people go? Pretty dang low if you look at how deep we’ve managed to dig ourselves.

No, that’s not some kind of a statement. We’re talking literally digging underground as far as we possibly can.

As it turns out, people have drilled deeper into the Earth’s crust than you might imagine. Whether it’s for security, science, resources, or just because we can, we seem as eager to go underground as we are to fly to space.

Here are the 10 deepest underground structures people have built. Note that we’re ignoring oil boreholes.

10) China’s Nuclear Command Bunker (6,561 feet)

China’s Central Military Commission’s Joint Battle Command Centre is an impressive achievement in underground architecture. This enormous structure is buried more than 6,500 feet under a national park near Beijing.

The Joint Battle Command Center is more than just a military site, though. In the event of nuclear war, it’s designed to shelter China’s top political and military leadership, in addition to up to one million other people.

9) Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (6,890 feet)

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) was an underground research facility in Canada. Its most impressive feature is the gigantic round tank filled with more than a ton of heavy water.

Looking like something out of a science fiction movie, researchers used the tank to detect solar neutrinos. The detector was shut down in 2006 after operating for seven years.

Since then, the SNO has been expanded into a permanent underground facility called SNOLAB. They’re currently refurbishing the huge detector to bring it back into service.

8) China Jinping Underground Laboratory / Creighton Mine (7,870 feet)

Two different underground complexes claim the eighth spot on our list. Both the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJUL) and the Creighton Mine reach around 7,870 feet in depth.

The CJUL is a Chinese research facility beneath the Jinping Mountains in Sichuan. Chinese scientists use it to study neutrinos and dark matter, among other things. Its depth makes it an ideal environment for these tests, as the surrounding rock blocks cosmic radiation almost completely.

Creighton Mine in Canada is part of the same underground complex that houses the SNO. It was originally started in 1901 as a pit mine before the miners delved underground in 1906. Currently, work is underway to dig the mine even deeper.

7) Gotthard Base Tunnel (8,040 feet)

The Gotthard base tunnel in Switzerland is the world’s deepest traffic tunnel. Stretching for around 35 miles, it slices through the Alps at a depth of more than 8,000 feet.

Digging began in 2004 and workers finally broke through on the other end in 2011. Today, around 10,400 passengers go through the tunnel every day.

6) Morro Velho (9,800 feet)

Morro Velho is a gold mine complex in southeastern Brazil. It’s by no means a new mine complex — the first mines at the site were opened already in 1725.

Work has continued ever since and miners have only dug deeper and deeper. In fact, until 1928, Morro Velho was the deepest mine in the world at 7,126 feet.

Now, parts of it now reach down to 9,800 feet. Wonder if they can make it even deeper.

5) Kolar Gold Fields (10,500 feet)

Kolar Gold Fields is a mining region in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India. Although it was primarily known for gold mining (as you might’ve guessed), the area has seen plenty of other activities too.

Mining operations in the area actually stopped in 2001 when a collapse in gold prices made continuing them unfeasible. Between the 1960s and 1992, Kolar has also been a site for various particle physics experiments.

4) Empire Mine State Historic Park (11,007 feet)

The Empire Mine was founded in 1851 during the California Gold Rush when one George Roberts discovered gold in the area. Over the next 100 years, it became one of the deepest mines in the world. In total, it has 367 miles of underground tunnels.

Mining activities finally came to a halt in 1956. But that didn’t spell the end for Empire Mine. In 1975, California turned the site into a state historic park.

3) TauTona Mine (12,800 feet)

TauTona Mine, in the province of Gauteng in South Africa, was opened in 1962. At the time, its main mine shaft descended 1.2 miles underground.

Since then, TauTona has doubled in depth and today it’s around 12,800 feet deep. Until 2008, it was actually a deepest mine in the world. But then…

2) Mponeng Gold Mine (13,100 feet)

The Mponeng Gold Mine, nearly neighboring Tautona, took over its record as the deepest mine in the world in 2008. It takes more than an hour to travel from the surface to the bottom of Mponeng’s 13,100-foot-deep mine shafts.

Not only is Mponeng the world’s deepest mines, but it’s also one of the world’s richest. There are at least two substantial gold veins in the mine. Miners excavate nearly 6,000 tons of rock every day but the mine only needs to extract 0.3 ounces of gold per ton of rock to stay profitable.

1) Kola Superdeep Borehole (40,230 feet)

“But you said you were going to ignore oil boreholes,” you say. Well, although the Kola Superdeep Borehole started as an oil borehole, it’s now used for scientific purposes.

And there’s a good reason for it to top this list. Measured in true vertical depth, the Kola borehole is the deepest manmade structure in the world.

It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get deeper underground without some significant advancements in technology. According to those that worked on the Kola borehole, they found that the unexpectedly high temperature at the depth the hole reaches turned stone into a sticky, plastic-like consistency, making further drilling practically impossible.