Armenian Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony at the Holy Trinity Church in Fresno, California in 2016. Armenians have blessed the grape harvest in mid-August since the Old Testament. Rich in religious symbolism, the blessing still happens around the globe at the start of the harvest.
Everyone loves a parade! This parade took place in July 2016 in Egg, Austria, and is part of a festival known as Musikfest Bregenzerwald. This festival takes place in a different village every year in Bregenzerwald and is organized by the village hosting the event. Each village in Bregenzerwald has its own musicians group and each marches in the parade.
The Jewish cemetery at Schönhauser Allee in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, is a beautiful, peaceful and yet haunting place to wander. It is well worth at least an hour. Keep in mind that men are asked to cover their heads, so if you do not have a hat, be sure to don a kippah as you will see Michael did in this video — available at the front entrance in a small basket.
On July 11, 2016, HITravelTales was part of the jury for the Scandinavian Outdoor Awards (ScandinavianOutdoorGroup.com) and was fortunate enough to be able to experience a spectacular sunrise from the summit of Kanisfluh in Bregenzerwald, Austria. Enjoy our hike with headlamps as the sun begins to crest the horizon and then the beauty of the area as the sun’s rays bring to life the color of this amazing place.
The International Donaufest (Danube) Festival has been held since 1998 and occurs every other year. Ulm city center and the banks of the Danube river are turned into a sort of international festival to celebrate the coming together of regions and countries along the Danube that rely on the river — Bavaria, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. The festival last 10 days and includes a massive fireworks display. HI Travel Tales was there this year to witness the fireworks extravaganza from the banks of the Danube.
HITravelTales.com team visits Dragon Gate and Western Hills Xishan Park just outside of Kunming, China. Not every must-see travel destination is so easy to get to. And that can make the journey even more of an adventure. Dragon Gate in the Western Hills (Xishan Forest Park) on the outskirts of Kunming, China, is one of those. The reasons we can list are many – green hills with forested walking paths, a breather from the sensory chaos of the city, temples and pavilions dating back to the 11th century, views of the region from about 8,200 feet (2,000 feet above the city itself), winding stone staircases, strolling monks, gardens, sculptures and also grottoes and tunnels carved out of the mountains rock face. Watch the video for a quick taste of all that is waiting for you here.
Located in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada, just 7 miles north of Oroville (approximately one hour drive north of Sacramento), the 3,315-acre Table Mountain preserve looks rather non-descript from afar. From Oroville, you can see the dark basalt (volcanic) cliffs and a hint of a flat plateau above, but little more. But get closer and you will experience spectacular wildflowers and amazing waterfalls.
I had been walking alone for hours in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying every step, every breath of fresh air. The wildflowers were amazing. I had seen wolf tracks, and was alert, but had seen nothing. I stopped to rest along the edge of a river when a white wolf burst out from the river bank, directly under my feet.
Almost 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. With the surrounding shoals and water, they make up the Dry Tortugas National Park, an area noted for bird and marine life and shipwrecks. Fort Jefferson, its central cultural feature, is one of the nation’s largest 1800s masonry fort. Video shot in 360 with a Kodak Pixpro SP360 camera.
Fasnacht Parade in Geislingen, Germany — Carnival associations spend the entire year continuing the traditions, working on costumes, and planning parades and events. You can only take part if you have lived there for a minimum number of years, and costumes and masks must conform to historical precedents. Some of the costumes are quite old and handed down generation to generation to continue the carnival celebrations and their history. There, we were street side at the carnival parade in a small town called Geislingen, where many clubs have their own traditions, including the “Feuerhexen” (fire witches).
Mauerpark Berlin is a must-visit scene on Sundays from Spring to Fall with a wonderfully quirky flea market as well as superb food, drinks and free music. The park was once the militarized “death strip” of the Berlin Wall (or Mauer) that divided East and West Germany.
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