Walking in the Wye Valley

Gary Wallace — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:37:42 +0000

Ye Olde Ferrie Inne From Yat Rock Viewpoint

A walk through any part of the Wye Valley is always a treat, but the area around Symonds Yat, where Herefordshire and Gloucestershire meet, is something special. With plenty of family activities, river cruises, canoeing, hotels and camping facilities, pubs and restaurants and miles of beautiful walks, Symonds Yat has something for everyone.

Earlier this summer, on a rare day of sunshine, I took a walk along the banks of the Wye. The walk described in the article below crossed the river twice, once by ferry and once by bridge, and took in the spectacular views from the Yat Rock viewpoint.

If you would like to walk the route yourself, or just enjoy the 15 photographs that accompany the article, follow the link below to Trifter.com and find out what Symonds Yat has to offer.

A Walk Along the Banks of the River Wye at Symonds Yat
Join me at Symonds Yat for a five mile walk along the banks of the river Wye where Herefordshire meets Gloucestershire. Add a one mile detour to take in the spectacular views from the Yat Rock viewpoint.

Petra, Jordan

Gary Wallace — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:09:02 +0000

The Treasury at Petra in Jordan

Over 2000 years ago, a city was carved from the sandstone rocks of the Shara mountains. Petra was the home of the Nabateans, who occupied the valley when the Edomites moved west. The Nabateans grew wealthy from the caravan trade and Petra became a rival to Rome.

But, as with so many ancient civilizations, Petra fell into decline and passed into Roman, and then Byzantine, hands, before disappearing from all records by the end of the 13th century. For the next 500 years, the only people to set foot in the city were local Bedouins.

Then, in 1812, Petra was "discovered" by the Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt. Artists and poets soon followed and brought back beautiful pictures and vivid descriptions. Tourists were not far behind and the city has grown in popularity ever since.

Located in southern Jordan, Petra is still an amazing destination. It is full of stunning monuments in the valley and amazing vistas from the mountaintops.

This two article tour through the beautiful rose-red city, from October last year, takes the reader deep into the valley and high into the mountains showing the best that Petra has to offer. The articles are accompanied by a series of 14 detailed photographs.

Both articles can be read at Trifter.com by following the links below.

A Photographic Tour Through the Beautiful Ancient City of Petra, Jordan – Part One
The facade of the Treasury monument at Petra in Jordan will be familiar to anyone who has seen the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". It forms part of a huge city complex that may be less well-known. We start our journey by looking at some of the structures created by the Nabateans.

A Photographic Tour Through the Beautiful Ancient City of Petra, Jordan – Part Two
We finish our journey through the ancient city of Petra in Jordan by visiting more of the valley and climbing the mountains. The beautiful sights are both natural and man-made, including an impressive mountaintop facade.

Gary Wallace » Travel

Walking in the Wye Valley

Petra, Jordan