Clancy Tucker's Blog: ISLANDS

Showing posts with label ISLANDS. Show all posts

2 October 2022 - THE MOVING ISLAND - ITALY

THE MOVING ISLAND

- ITALY -

G'day folks,

Posta Fibreno is a karstic lake in the foothills of Italy’s Lazio region, and though it may seem more like an engrossed river, it is a small, serene lake home to a very unusual natural phenomenon known since Roman times. Described by Pliny the Elder in his 1st-century Naturalis Historia, the lake is the setting for the subtle dances and movements of a natural floating island.

The island, known as La Rota for its round shape, was formed over the years by free-floating rhizomes, peat, and roots. At about 13 feet thick and 130 feet wide, the mass is not rooted to the ground below the water, and thus the wind and currents cause it to move freely around the surface of the lake. Small trees and shrubs cover the land, and when a breeze blows or the volume of the water released by the underwater springs varies, the island appears to be somehow floating around on its own. This is a phenomenon so rare that Posta Fibreno is one of the only places on Earth to see it occur.

Geological anomaly aside, Lake Posta Fibreno’s mild temperature and extraordinarily clear waters have made it a paradise for divers, kayakers, wildlife lovers, and birdwatchers. The landscape is a nature reserve that protects a local endemic species of fish, the Fibreno trout. The lake has no tributaries and it is fed by karstic springs, whose constant flow are responsible for the turquoise water’s remarkable transparent hue. The fishermen on Posta Fibreno still use a traditional boat known locally as a “nàue,” and these may be spotted when walking along the nature reserve’s boardwalks.

20 August 2022 - TREEPOD RESTAURANT - THAILAND

TREEPOD RESTAURANT

- THAILAND -

G'day folks,

Here, you can eat dinner in the trees, and eat like a bird in a bamboo nest.

The Treepod Restaurant on the island of Koh Kood, Thailand, may be the only eatery in the world where the servers wear harnesses.

Diners must make a short trek through the island’s beachside rainforest to reach their “pod.” These egg-shaped, handmade structures are built by a resident craftsman from locally sourced bamboo and rattan, and resemble the nests of native birds. The pods are hoisted by electric cables 36 feet in the air to float among the rainforest canopy. Patrons enjoy unobstructed views of the Gulf of Thailand while their waiter soars through the massang trees on zip-lines with their food. Much of the menu is sourced from the eco-resort’s organic garden, featuring Thai classics, seafood, and fresh fruit platters.

The real-life dreamscape is the brainchild of Graham Grant, manager of Soneva Kiri Resort, which owns the Treepod Restaurant. The eco-resort is true to its nature, sourcing its building materials locally and banning imported bottled water. Koh Kood is a large and sparsely populated island, allowing visitors to spend some alone time with the birds, like birds themselves.

27 February 2022 - AN ISLAND WITH FIVE RESIDENTS - ICELAND

AN ISLAND WITH

FIVE RESIDENTS

- ICELAND -

G'day folks,

Located in the bay of Breiðafjörður, the small, windswept island of Flatey is often overlooked by travelers. But despite being only two kilometers (1.2 miles) long and one kilometer (0.6 miles) wide, this tiny speck of land boasts a surprising wealth of culture, history, and natural beauty.

A former monastery was founded on the island in 1172, and it long served as the resting place for an important medieval manuscript known as Flateyjarbók. Flatey later received a trading license from the Danish Crown in 1777, sparking an increase in island residents. Toward the end of the 19th century, however, most left to seek opportunities off the small island.

According to a June 2020 article on Traveo, only five people live on Flatey throughout the year. Given that fact, Flatey is not well-catered to mass-tourism—though it is popular with those who stay on the island over the summer—and has only modest offerings when it comes to entertainment. Those looking for a “thrilling” night might try bingo at Frystihúsið (“The Freezer”) cafe.

Built in 1926, a small white church is Flatey’s most prominent landmark, and its steeple marks the highest point on the island. This, however, is not particularly impressive, considering Flatey takes its name (“flat island”) from its low-lying meadows and bays. The interior of the church was decorated by the painter Baltasar Samper and shows scenes of the island’s past fishermen and farmers.

The rest of Flatey’s architecture has remained almost entirely unchanged since the late 19th century. With their peeling paint jobs and corrugated iron rooftops, the island’s historic homes give off either a quaint or eerie feel, depending on the weather.

During the summers, the lush green beauty of Flatey is readily apparent outside of its village: Atlantic puffins swoop in the sky, unshorn rams strut in the fields, and skeletal shipwrecks are left to wither away on the shoreline. It is a place where nature still reigns supreme, with particular allure for those guests in Iceland looking to truly get away from it all.

Clancy's comment: Looks like a great place to fish ... and write books.

I'm ...

30 September 2021 - HOMES ON A CLUSTER OF ISLANDS ON CANADA - U.S. BORDER

HOMES ON A CLUSTER OF

ISLANDS ON

CANADA - US BORDER

G'day folks,

Between the Canada-United States border, there is a beautiful place called Thousand Islands. You might know the name because of the extremely fattening (but delicious) salad dressing, but there is more to Thousand Islands than that.

It’s an archipelago consisting of 1,864 islands stretching for about 50 miles. Some of the islands are smaller than others, ranging in size from 40 square miles all the way down to an island small enough for just one single house. In order to be considered an island in the Thousand Islands you must be above water lever all year-long, have at least 1 square foot of land, and have at least one living tree.

The largest island is Wolfe Island. It’s about 18 miles long and 5.5 miles at its widest point. This island houses approximately 1400 residents. Some islands are larger than others and may have a few houses, while others may just have one house with your only neighbors across the water.

There is a ferry service that is from the mainland. They can call the ferry service if they need help with transportation. A lot of the islands are powered by hydro-electric power and their telephone service is carried using cables that are made for being underwater, and they go from island to island.

Clancy's comment: Great for fishing, but not for me.

I'm ...

19 September 2021 - ABANDONED ISLAND IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK

ABANDONED ISLAND IN

THE HEART OF NEW YORK

G'day folks,

What if I were to tell you that there is an abandoned New York island between Queens and the Bronx?

With a city that is populated with millions of people, how could there be anything, especially an island, that is completely abandoned? The island is called North Brother Island, and one Reddit user came across the island when kayaking from Connecticut to New York. The pictures he took of the abandoned island near NYC are absolutely amazing, and it still blows my mind that this island is unoccupied. Lucky for us, he decided to stop and take a few pictures of this island.

North Brother is located between the Bronx and Queens.

The island was developed in 1885. It was originally used to build a hospital complex. They used the hospital to quarantine patients who had small pox or typhoid fever. In the 1950’s, they changed the hospital into a rehabilitation center for patients who were addicted to drugs.

The entire island has been abandoned since 1963, which makes it even more crazy that it hasn’t been developed into something new, especially with its close proximity to New York City. They did try to sell the island to investors in the 1970’s but there were no buyers. In order to develop the island, they had to take into account the cost of construction, how they would get materials there, the cost of a sewage system, plus the noise from La Guardia Airport.