Celebrating the September Equinox – autumn festivals around the world
Autumn has always been my favourite time of year. The trees begin to shed their jewelled leaves and the Sun starts to descend on its annual path, casting deep, golden shafts of light across fields and homesteads in the late afternoons. According to the shops, it’s...
Calar Alto Observatory, Spain’s Star Attraction
High above the citrus groves of the Almanzora Valley lies the Calar Alto Observatory, the largest astronomical complex in continental Europe. And it’s surprisingly accessible, as I discovered on my most recent visit to the Almería region!
The Mysterious Astronaut of Salamanca in Spain
As you approach by road, the ancient city of Salamanca rises up majestically from the dusty plains of Castilla y Leon province in Spain, but it’s deep in the heart of the city centre that one of its most intriguing features waits to be discovered….. Students...
7 unusual holiday ideas | how to add stargazing to your travel plans
The worst thing about going on holiday is that all too soon it will be over and you’ll be wearing those post-holiday blues like an invisible blanket of gloom. Our leisure time is limited so it’s tempting to stick to a tried-and-tested formula that you know works best....
Top winter solstice celebrations in the northern hemisphere
On the darkest nights and brightest days of the year, communities across the world pause to acknowledge a turning point in the heavens. Long before written calendars, people watched the Sun’s slow climb or retreat on the horizon, marking the moment with bonfires,...