After Storm © Ivan Cruz

After storm in the Carpathians, the largest mountain range in Europe.

View from my window

In early November I moved from Halmstad to Gothenburg. Last Friday, about a week ago, I did the opposite. My last apartment contract in Gothenburg expired at the end of January and finding a new place turned out to be quite a challenge. Apparently, every online ad for an apartment in the center of the city receives 1,500-2,000 replies. Rooms and apartments in less attractive neighborhoods often get hundreds of replies. The apartment situation in Sweden’s three largest cities Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö is far from optimal. Even if you portray yourself as the ideal tenant and write an excellent email of interest, you generally must reply as soon after the ad went live as possible to have a fair chance.

Since I hadn’t found a new apartment, I considered staying in a hostel or cheap hotel. Fortunately I could stay at a couple of friends’ place some time. In the end I found a small first-hand apartment in Halmstad. The owner later told me I had called only minutes after they put up the ad, and incredibly many people had replied afterwards.

I don’t know how long I will stay here but it feels good to have a little place of my own. And even though I like living in Sweden, I sometimes daydream myself away to foreign destinations. Earlier this year I came across renowned photographer Elliott Erwitt‘s photos from Puerto Rico. At 26, Elliott was asked by David Ogilvy to travel to Puerto Rico to take photos for an ad campaign. Since then, he has photographed cultural icons, presidents and dictators, kings and queens, and various street photography — life as you see it. Not too long ago, Elliott Erwitt returned to Puerto Rico to find out what has changed and what has stayed the same since his previous visit. On seepuertorico.com you can see his photos on History, Culture, Romance, Beaches, Activities, and Gastronomy as well as fascinating Videos.

Cuartell de Ballajá, San Juan © Elliott Erwitt

This is part 15 of ‘Recent Reads’ in which I highlight recommended posts in the blogosphere.

Milford Sound at low tide © SP Veres

Mozart, Da Vinci and Jeanne of Soul Travelers 3 celebrated a fantastic carnival in Andalusia, Spain.

The Swedish couple behind Lifecruiser did a road trip to a very unusual hotel situated in an oak tree.

In Why Bangkok?, Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere explains why he chose the capital of Thailand when he wanted a place to work for a few months.

Elise and Anthony of positiveworldtravel.com had a magical evening along the Kualar Selangor river in Malaysia.

At The Lost Girls, Courtney Brooke gives five tips for surviving a family road trip.

Greg and Ash of Follow our Footsteps explore the majesty of Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand.

And Leigh McAdam, founder of Hike Bike Travel.com, suggests nine things to do in the Pacific Northwest in March.

I recently thought about how people show love in different countries around the world. What are common displays of affection? What is acceptable? What is frowned upon? The dos and don’ts?

Whether you travel with your loved one or meet a new special someone abroad, do respect the local customs and cultural codes. Every country has their own customs and traditions.

For example, in China, Japan and Thailand, avoid kissing in public. In New Guinea, show your love by putting your mouth against somebody’s cheek or press your mouth against someone’s ear. In Kenya, South Korea and Jamaica, group dates are a popular form of dating.

When in France, kiss three times on the cheek when you meet. One on the right, one on the left, and then another on the right. If you take away your head after only two kisses, someone may get offended.

And, needless to say, no sex in public in the United Arab Emirates — and many other countries.

If you know of any other specific customs of a foreign country, feel free to share in the comment section.

Rebecca Tom goes fossil hunting along the stunning Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural world heritage site.

The Jurassic Coast

Written by Rebecca Tom

Wow, a real piece of dinosaur in your hand. It’s a possibility…

Fossil hunting is not just for geography and geology types — it’s a fun activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. Dorset, in the south of England, offers world-class fossil beds on beautiful shorelines where you can have a go at hunting for dinosaur bones and teeth. It’s  great fun for kids too, so why not head to Dorset? You never know what will turn up!

Dorset (and East Devon) are home to England’s only natural world heritage site, The Jurassic Coast — 95 miles of stunning coastline running from Exmouth to Studland that are designated by UNESCO as having ‘outstanding universal value’. The rocks there are truly special as the many fossils contained in them record 85 million years of Earth’s history, covering the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

You can easily spend hours on the Dorset coast looking for fossils. My favourite place for this is Charmouth. The beach has easy access, parking, a café and public toilets. It has an interesting Heritage Coast Centre on the seafront with plenty of information on the natural history and fossils of the area. The cliffs are world famous for their rocks and attract serious collectors and amateurs alike.

Walking down Charmouth beach at sunset © Rebecca Tom

There are plenty of fossils to be found all year round but the best time to look is during the spring or the winter months as there are less people about, and the storms and extreme high tides help to reveal new fossils. Charmouth is especially beautiful in the winter. Waves lash the coast and spray up over the sea wall, throwing large stones over the path at the same time. Surfers can be spotted too taking advantage of the wave power.

The most common type of fossil at Charmouth is the ammonite. They lived in the sea between 240–65 million years ago and belong to the group of predators known as the cephalopods. Living relatives include the squid, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus. It’s amazing to discover these beautiful spiral shells and be the first human to hold them so many years after their death. Also in plentiful supply are belemnites. They first appeared around 208 million years ago and are relatives of the ammonites. Look in the shingle and on the tide line, especially as the tide starts going in. Try focussing on a small area and keep your eyes peeled.

At one end of Charmouth beach is Stonebarrow and at the other is Black Ven — the largest coastal mudslide area in Europe. Ammonite impressions can be found in the mud there but most are so delicate that they break up if not treated very carefully.

View from Charmouth © Rebecca Tom

To reach Stonebarrow you have to cross the river Char over a small bridge. Stonebarrow is good for ‘fools gold’ ammonites and crinoids – ‘sea lilies’ that are relatives of starfish. Beyond Stonebarrow is Golden Cap — the highest view on the south coast at 191m above sea level.

If you are lucky, you may come across a really amazing find (which must be registered with the World Heritage Team (01305 225101)). After heavy rain in 2000 local collector Tony Gill found the fossilised remains of a 5m long Heritage Centre.

The cliffs at Charmouth are prone to falling and can do so at any time. Mudslides also occur, especially after wet weather so keep an eye out and don’t take silly risks. Walking on the mud itself can be a mistake – my leg vanished up to my knee when I when I wasn’t paying enough attention to where I was putting my feet! Also, remember to check the tides and only set out along the coast during a falling tide. A table of the tide times can be bought in Charmouth Fossil Shop.

Durdle Door, a remarkable geological structure on the Dorset Jurassic Coast.

If this has got you interested in hunting for a dinosaur or two, why not check out some holiday cottages in Dorset, book up a few days away and see what Charmouth has to offer. Happy fossiling…

Rebecca Tom is from England and loves to travel. Her first trips outside of Europe were to Israel on a school trip and then to Thailand years later with friends. She has since been to Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and The Maldives. Next destination, Morocco.

Fidel Nadal is an Argentine reggae musician.

Fidel Nadal – International Love

Couple watching sunrise

A shared moment at Mt Cootha, Brisbane, Australia.