Solivagant

Member since December 2005

#None 0 0

I am now retired but have been "travelling" for a "hobby" since I was 15 (1957!) whilst pursuing otherwise normal mundane career and "home" things in UK - thus being limited by "annual leave" allowances. During that time I have visited 164 "independent countries" - defined by me as the 193 full UN members plus (somewhat illogically, but they are generally accepted as "sovereign") Taiwan and Holy See (but am not pursuing "193"!). Unfortunately quite a few relatively easily accessible current WHS got "missed" along the way. If only I had known they would get chosen - they are not all obvious choices! Despite the weaknesses in the list and the politics involved in the selection and voting mechanism they provide a quick means of grasping the highlights of many countries and sometimes lead down interesting knowledge and research "avenues" which would otherwise have remain unexplored. 
Proposal for a new WHS:- Roca Agostino Neto Cocoa Plantation Sao Tome.
There are just too many European WHS relative to the rest. Little Sao Tome became the world's greatest producer of cocoa under the Portuguese. So poor were the social conditions that Cadbury boycotted Cocoa from there in early 20C. At Roca Agostinho (and other crumbling colonial sites on Sao Tome) you might just get a feeling for the economic system which created it and "fed" Europe with a raw material so often taken for granted - a really atmospheric place. But it isn't even on the "Tentative list"!

My most impressive site: Machu Picchu. I would like to choose somewhere

My proposal for a new site: See under

Recent Visits
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    July 28, 2024
    Beijing Central Axis, Funerary and memory sites of the First World War, Gedi , Hegmataneh, …
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    4
    Jan. 1, 2020
    City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dunhuang Yardangs, The Lijiang River Scenic Zone …
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    5
    Jan. 1, 2020
    Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar, Bago, Inle Lake, Shwedagon Pagoda, Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period
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About Solivagant

First name
Solivagant
Member since
December 2005
Country of Origin
None
Visits
Rank
#None
WHS
0
Tentative Sites
0
Website Participation
Reviews
442
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
855 0
Photos
N/A
Locations
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Zones
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Reviews by Solivagant

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The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier by Solivagant

The Architectural Work of Le … (Inscribed)

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier

Community members have now reviewed most of the inscribed Le Corbusier (LC) sites in Europe, Argentina and Japan - but not the Indian site at Chandigarh. I therefore add comments …

Wild Ass Sanctuary by Solivagant

Wild Ass Sanctuary (On tentative list)

Wild Ass Sanctuary

Gujarat possesses 2 wildlife “parks” with UNESCO WH “history”. Each “majors” on a specific Mammal species - Gir NP, famous as the only location remaining for the Asiatic Lion, and …

Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab by Solivagant

Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsa… (On tentative list)

Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab

The Sri Harimandir Sahib (a.k.a - “Golden Temple”), was 15th on our Community list of “Top Missing” but is, as yet, unreviewed by any Community member (just …

17th Century Port Royal

17th Century Port Royal (On tentative list)

17th Century Port Royal

We visited Port Royal as long ago as 2004 and I review it now simply because it is nominated for 2019 and no one else has! I fear that the …

Risco Caido by Solivagant

Risco Caido (Inscribed)

Risco Caido

Spain’s apparent objective of gaining WHS status for all of its islands continues in 2019 with Gran Canaria (GC) - Menorca is next in line for 2022! Serendipity, rather than …

Minoan Palatial Centres by Solivagant

Minoan Palatial Centres (Nominated)

Minoan Palatial Centres

In Nov 2015 I reviewed our visit to Knossos (below). In Dec 2018 we “found ourselves” in Crete yet again and visited a further 3 of the 5 “Minoan …

Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes by Solivagant

Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes (On tentative list)

Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes

So there I was, updating my T List count on this Web site and, at the end, just above the “Send” button, were 2 T List sites under Z for …

Persian Caravanserai by Solivagant

Persian Caravanserai (Inscribed)

Persian Caravanserai

The Persian Caravanserai were only placed on the T List in Feb 2017 as part of a "mini update" which added a further 10 sites to Iran’s already enormous T …

Struve Geodetic Arc by Solivagant

Struve Geodetic Arc (Inscribed)

Struve Geodetic Arc

"Struve Stories" (continued) - 1187-001 FUGLENAES (Norway)

John Booth reviewed this location back in 2010 but, following our visit in Dec 2018, there are a few more aspects about …

Water Management System of Augsburg by Solivagant

Water Management System of Au… (Inscribed)

Water Management System of Augsburg

Augsburg must be aggrieved at not being on the WH list. It is one of many 2** Michelin cities in Germany with a fine historic pedigree but, unlike others which …

Fortified City of Carcassonne by Solivagant

Fortified City of Carcassonne (Inscribed)

Fortified City of Carcassonne

In Sept 2018, while we were “in town” looking at the Canal du Midi, we paid a revisit to the Old City of Carcassonne – after a gap of many …

The State of the Pyrenees by Solivagant

The State of the Pyrenees (Part of Nomination)

The State of the Pyrenees

In Sept 2018 things had moved on at Sta Coloma since Hubert’s visit/review in 2014. Our hotel (The Garden – "Ok" at 60 Eur B+B for 2 with ample free …

Creation of the Co-Principality of Andorra by Solivagant

Creation of the Co-Principali… (Part of Nomination)

Creation of the Co-Principality of Andorra

In Sept 2018 things had moved on at Sta Coloma since Hubert’s visit/review in 2014. Our hotel (The Garden – "Ok" at 60 Eur B+B for 2 with ample free …

Decorated cave of Pont d'Arc by Solivagant

Decorated cave of Pont d'Arc (Inscribed)

Decorated cave of Pont d'Arc

So - we had visited the “replica” Chauvet Cave but had we really “visited” the WHS?  Now, each of us will have their own “rules” for deciding when to “count” …

Jodrell Bank Observatory by Solivagant

Jodrell Bank Observatory (Inscribed)

Jodrell Bank Observatory

In July 2018 we took the opportunity to make our first ever visit to Jodrell Bank. We had seen it many times in the distance but, whilst we were in …

The Area of the Prespes Lakes by Solivagant

The Area of the Prespes Lakes (On tentative list)

The Area of the Prespes Lakes

The T List “Area of the Prespes Lakes” (etc!) consists of those parts of Great and Little Lake Prespa (and adjacent land) which belong to Greece. They have been designated …

Archaeological site of Philippi by Solivagant

Archaeological site of Philip… (Inscribed)

Archaeological site of Philippi

Oct 2017 - Another day in Greece….. another “Greek” ruin….! Well not really - ok Philippi is in Greece and was named by Philip II of Macedon in 356BC when …

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae by Solivagant

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at… (Inscribed)

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

A few points about Bassae following our visit in Oct 2017.

a. Its Architectural significance

Bassae doesn’t exactly “wow” at first sight. It is certainly wildly and remotely …

Archaeological Site of Aigai by Solivagant

Archaeological Site of Aigai (Inscribed)

Archaeological Site of Aigai

We visited Aigai in April 2018 and, in common with previous reviewers, concentrated on the “Royal Tombs Museum” in the “Great Tumulus”. It is truly magnificent, …

Vatnajökull National Park by Solivagant

Vatnajökull National Park (Inscribed)

Vatnajökull National Park

When we booked a late-availability and heavily discounted expedition cruise from Scotland to Greenland in June 2010 it included a number of organised "tourist" side trips in the Faeroes and …

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