In 1869, King Ludwig of Bavaria oversaw the laying of the cornerstone for Schloss Neuschwanstein on a breathtaking mountaintop site overlooking his childhood castle home at Hohenschwangau. The walls of Neuschwanstein are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from many of Richard Wagner’s, operas, especially the swan-themed Lohengrin. Obsessed with Wagner’s, music, in 1872, he began
Zimbabwe – Harare City Views and Gay GALZ
Zimbabwe is the former Rhodesia, a colony of Britain for a hundred years. After a civil war, 1965-1979, the country became independent in 1980 under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. He has been president ever since and has ruled with a corrupt and violent hand. Superficially Harare appears to have a veneer of prosperity as
Zimbabwe – Harare City Views
Zimbabwe is the former Rhodesia, a colony of Britain for a hundred years. After a civil war, 1965-1979, the country became independent in 1980 under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. He has been president ever since and has ruled with a corrupt and violent hand. Superficially Harare appears to have a veneer of prosperity as
Denmark – Copenhagen City Scenes
Copenhagen has a metropolitan population of about 1.9 million people. First documented in the 11th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the beginning of the 15th century and during the 17th century under the reign of Christian IV it became an important regional centre. In 2008 Copenhagen was ranked fourth in a list
Denmark – Copenhagen OutGames 2009 Sports
At the World OutGames 2009 there were 38 sports: Aerobics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Bowling, Bridge, Canoe and Kayak, Climbing, Country Western Dance, Curling, Cycling, Dancing, Diving, Field Hockey, Figure Skating, Floor Volleyball, Golf, Handball, Ice hockey, Martial Arts, Billiards, Roller Racing, Rowing, Shooting, Soccer (Football), Softball, Squash, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track
Denmark – Copenhagen OutGames 2009 Opening Ceremony
Copenhagen welcomed OutGames athletes and supporters to the city and to the official opening ceremony on July 25, 2009. The colorful event was held in the City Hall Square in the center of the city. There were about 6,000 athletes from more than 80 countries who paraded across the specially built stage and then watched
Denmark – Copenhagen Gay Pride Parade and Festival 2009
Following the week of OutGames Sports and Human Rights Conference, Copenhagen Gay Pride mounted its colorful parade which terminated at City Hall. A concert stage presented music for hours as celebrants gathered in the final event of this hectic, festive and joyful week. Read the Gay Denmark Story
Denmark Cathedral Blessing of Gay Couples
During the week of the OutGames the Lutheran Cathedral in central Copenhagen wrapped its portal columns in rainbow colors and offered services and prayers for the gay community. One of these services was a blessing ceremony for same-sex couples to receive hands-on approval from the catherdral’s clergy. Most (not all) of those who came forward
Denmark – Copenhagen Gay Pride Week
For a cheerful and energetic week in July/August 2009 Copenhagen was host to the 2nd edition of the World OutGames and OutGames Human Rights Conference. The Danish Prime Minister and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen welcomed thousands of athletes and activists to the city. In the streets and in the press these special events were
Denmark – Human Rights Conference
The World OutGames 2009 in Copenhagen mounted two major events: sports competitions and a human rights conference. (See OutGames sports photo gallery.) The human rights conference drew several hundred activists, diplomats, United Nations officials, legal experts, political leaders, journalists, filmmakers and artists for three days of plenary sessions and workshops covering more than one hundred
Denmark – Karen Blixen Museum
Denmark: Karen Blixen Museum in Denmark and Nairobi Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke (1885-1962) was a Danish author also known under her pen name Isak Dinesen. Blixen wrote works both in Danish and in English. She is best known, at least in English, for the book Out of Africa, her account of living in Kenya
Malawi – Lilongwe
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. The enormous Lake Malawi is almost the same size as the land area. Malawi is over 118,000 km2 with an estimated population of more than 13,900,000. Its capital is Lilongwe, the biggest city is Blantyre. The name Malawi
Australia – Gay Games VI 2002
Sydney was host to the sixth Gay Games in 2002 which was attended by about 11,000 athletes participating in more than 25 sports. GlobalGayz owner Richard Ammon was a participant swimmer for Team Orange County, California, which accounts for the swimming-only photos. (It is difficult for athletes in one sport to see other sports because
Mozambique: the Capital City of Maputo
Maputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. A port on the Indian Ocean with its economy centered around the harbor. It has a population of about 1,300,000, but the actual population is higher because of slums and other unofficial settlements. Coal, cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra, and hardwood are the chief exports. The
Mozambique: Pemba Area
Pemba is a port city in northeast Mozambique. It was founded by the Niassa Company in 1904 as Porto Amélia, after a queen of Portugal. The city is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture. It was renamed Pemba at the end of Portuguese rule, in 1975. The city’s inhabitants are primarily Makondes, Macuas and Mwanis.
Mozambique: Ilha Mozambique, the Forgotten Former Capital
Ilha de Mocambique is the forgotten former capitol town Mozambique with its mixture of African, Arab and colonial influences and historical dependence on trade. It was an important trading post as early as the 10th century, when merchant ships from as far afield as India and Arabia traded slaves, ivory, gold and spices along the
Mozambique: Traveling Across to Malawi
Crossing east to west in northern Mozambique brings the intrepid traveler to the border with Malawi. Within Mozambique there are few main east-west highways and only a limited railway. Part of the reason for inadequate international roads in southern Africa is that most of these countries were occupied by European powers that wanted to keep
South Africa – Johannesburg (1)
Modern human beings have inhabited South Africa for more than 100,000 years. At the time of European contact, its indigenous peoples reflected migrations from other parts of Africa. Two major groups were Xhosa and Zulu peoples. The discovery of diamonds and later gold in 1886 triggered war, as the Boers and the British fought for
South Africa – Johannesburg (2)
South Africa has three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. Johannesburg is the unofficial financial capital of the country. The discovery of diamonds and later gold in 1886 near the city turned it into a massive boom
South Africa – Johannesburg (3)
Although Johannesburg is not a capital city it is the powerhouse of South Africa where life is bold, varied and definitely an adventure. South Africa has three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. There are numerous comfortable
Japan – Fukuoka, Mount Usu, Lake Toya, Nagasaki
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. On the north island of Hokkaido are volcanoes still active and steaming at Lake Toya. In the south of Fukuoka the scenes and people are unique and diverse, including the
Japan – Kyoto, Nagano, Hiroshima
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. The country has one of the most efficient railroad systems in the world and a tourist is wise to buy a rail pass and travel the length of
Japan – Tokyo & Kyoto
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million
Czech Republic – Prague City 1
Situated on the River Vltava (Moldau) in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech Republic for more than 1100 years. The city proper is home to more than 1.2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million. The stunning architecture,