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Today is the beginning of spring
Today, February 4th, is the beginning of spring. It is considered the beginning of spring in the 24 solar terms and is a milestone day for the year. And the image is a white-tailed crane perched on a plum branch. While chirping "Chi, Chi", it lightly jumps around the plum buds in the garden trees and parks, quickly signaling the signs of spring...
The white-tailed bird has been kept as a Japanese bird since ancient times because of its beautiful song. In particular, in Meiji 17, Jotaro Murakami, who ran a small bird shop in Fukagawa, Tokyo, devised a culture of "chirping" to compete for the beauty and number of mejiro's songs, and it has become popular among enthusiasts. Even now, "singing meetings" continue mainly in western Japan, and meetings are held regularly.
Risshun2026
Hamburg's Speicherstadt
When dusk falls over Hamburg, the Speicherstadt is transformed into a luminous labyrinth of waterways and historic brick facades. Warm light is reflected in the canals and between gables, bridges and turrets, a panorama unfolds that impressively showcases the architecture of the turn of the century in the Hanseatic city.
The Speicherstadt was built between 1883 and 1927 and is still considered the largest contiguous warehouse complex in the world. Founded on oak piles and designed in the style of brick Gothic, it once served as a free port zone for goods from all over the world: coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and oriental carpets were stored, sorted and traded here.
Since 2015, the Speicherstadt has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbolizes Hamburg's traditionally cosmopolitan trading history. Today, the historic Kontorhäuser house museums, manufactories and creative workspaces – a place where past and present live on in special harmony. Between flickering lanterns and quiet waterways, the Speicherstadt shows how timelessly beautiful a piece of city history can be.
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Rosa Parks Day
Picture this: it's 1955, a winter evening in Montgomery, Alabama. A seamstress heads home after work. The bus fills with other passengers. The driver demands she give up her seat. Rosa Parks wasn't trying to make waves, but her refusal set off a chain reaction that would propel the civil rights movement into a new phase. Raised in rural Alabama, she grew up under segregation and later worked with the NAACP as a secretary and investigator, gathering testimony of racial violence and discrimination. By the time she declined to move, she was already a committed activist.
Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a coordinated 381-day protest that helped end bus segregation. Rosa Parks Day emerged decades later to honor her work. First celebrated in 1998 in Michigan, it is observed on different dates across states, tied either to her birthday or to the day of her arrest. As Parks' national impact grew, she earned various medals, awards, and the distinction of being the first woman to lie in honor at the US Capitol rotunda. The stained-glass painting of Parks at Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal Church in Denver, pictured here today, serves as a glowing reminder of a legacy that still reaches far beyond Montgomery.
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Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Xwejni Bay in Gozo, Malta, has a way of making everyday elements look like a quiet choreography between sea, stone and sun. You can't help but pause and look closer, right? Centuries back, families began carving these limestone pans, shaping hundreds of basins that trap seawater with each wave. Once the water settles in, the sun's heat does the rest, slowly evaporating it into natural Mediterranean salt. Gozo became a salt-making hub because its limestone coast is easy to shape, and its warm, dry summers keep the crystallisation process steady. The first crystals form around May, marking the beginning of the harvesting season. Workers rake the salt by hand, sweep it with brooms and brushes, gather it into small piles to dry for another day, then bag it and store it in the caves.
Visitors can walk right up to the pans along the shore, but look out for 'no trespassing' signs. If you swing by in the summer, you might spot active raking and drying. Take a moment to enjoy the view, and before you head back, consider collecting a salty souvenir from one of the many gourmet shops around Malta.
MaltaSalt
Ra Gusela peak at Giau Pass, near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
At the Giau Pass, where cyclists gasp and clouds drift like they're sightseeing too, this sharp-backed peak rises with quiet confidence. It's the kind of mountain that says, 'Take your time,' and then steals your breath anyway. Ra Gusela sits above Giau Pass, one of the most scenic high passes in the Dolomites, just outside Cortina d'Ampezzo. At 2,595 metres, it isn't the tallest neighbour in the room, but it has presence.
In warmer months, Ra Gusela is a solid introduction to Dolomite hiking. Well-marked trails and short via ferrata sections make it challenging but approachable. No technical climbing degree required—just steady feet, a head for heights and snacks. Winter changes the mood. Snow smooths the edges, and the Giau Pass becomes quieter, save for skiers, snowshoers and photographers chasing that crisp alpine light.
With Cortina co-hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics, the wider region is back in the global spotlight. While Ra Gusela isn't an Olympic venue, it forms part of the dramatic mountain backdrop that defines the Games.
GiauPass
Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
Ready, go. The silence of the mountain is broken, the track lights up and the wait gives way to movement. The adventure of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics begins, where snow, ice and speed become universal languages. The image of the track tells the heart of these Games through lines drawn on white, bodies in balance and moments suspended between concentration and momentum.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, nestled in the Dolomites, is once again the protagonist of an Olympic story that combines nature and sport, tradition and future. Here every curve and every descent speaks of technique, courage and precision, while the mountains are the solemn setting for challenges that are played on the edge of hundredths.
Milan and Cortina share the Olympic scene, intertwining urban energy with the wide breath of the Alps. Milan, with its international character and its fast pace, flanks the Alpine dimension and builds an ideal bridge between the city and high altitude. It is an Olympics that crosses landscapes and identities, setting in motion not only the athletes, but also the stories, people and places that host it. Under the same winter sky, Italy tells its story to the world.
Sapporo Snow Festival is being held
Currently, Sapporo Snow Festival is being held in Sapporo City, Hokkaido from February 4th to 11th. The festival, with its elaborate snow sculptures and illuminations, began in 1950 when local middle and high school students installed six snow sculptures in Odori Park. It has now grown into one of the largest winter events in Hokkaido, attracting tourists from all over the world...
The venue is divided into three locations, and at the Odori venue in the image, you can enjoy a variety of snow sculptures of large, medium, and small sizes, as well as foot baths, skating, and snowboarding experiences. In addition, there is a giant slide and snow play event that parents and children can enjoy at the Tsudome venue, and an ice sculpture exhibition is held at the Susukino venue, so you can enjoy different events at each venue.
SapporoSnowFestival2026
Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia doesn't ease you in—it erupts into view like a horizon made of light. It's the world's largest salt flat, stretching across above 10,400 square kilometres at nearly 3,658 metres above sea level. The landscape dramatically shifts with the seasons: when the rain arrives, the surface floods just enough to become an enormous mirror, so perfectly reflective that sky and ground melt into a single glowing plane.
Around the salar, the landscape turns surprisingly varied. Rock formations sculpted by wind and time rise from the desert like abstract artwork—twisted, towering shapes that look almost deliberate. Not far away, steaming hot springs offer a soothing contrast to the crisp high‑altitude air, creating warm pockets of calm in the middle of the wilderness.
The surrounding lagunas and mineral‑rich lakes burst with unexpected colour and flocks of flamingos add flashes of motion to the stillness. Scattered nearby, ghost towns from Bolivia's mining era sit quietly against the vast white expanse, recalling the region's history with an air of mystery.
SalarUyuni
Corfu, Greece
The island of Corfu, Greece, meets you at night with a quiet kind of intensity: stone facades catching warm lamplight, fortress walls rising in sharp outline and narrow lanes unfolding like a lived-in labyrinth. The Old Town doesn't just look historic—it feels inhabited, shaped by centuries of shifting cultures and the slow rhythm of island life after dark.
Move beyond the historic centre and Corfu shifts into a more dynamic landscape. Rugged rock formations edge the coastline, carved by wind and sea into dramatic shapes that catch the morning light. Forested hills roll toward turquoise bays and secluded coves, where the colours deepen and brighten throughout the day. In the interior, warm springs and mineral-rich waters offer a serene pause, tucked into pockets of green that feel removed from the bustle of the harbour.
Returning to Corfu's Old Town, the UNESCO-listed streets blend Venetian, French and British influences into a uniquely Greek character—stone arcades, fortress walls, pastel buildings and lively squares where cafés spill into narrow lanes. Together, Corfu's dramatic coastlines, natural springs and storied Old Town create an island experience that transitions beautifully from quiet evenings to vivid, adventurous days.
CorfuGreece
Amur leopard cat, Russia
The leopard cat is a small wild cat found across South, Southeast and East Asia. Similar in size to a house cat but longer-legged and slenderer, it generally measures 38–66 centimetres long, with a tail about 17–31 centimetres. Depending on the region, adults weigh roughly 0.55–7 kilograms. Their appearance varies widely: southern individuals tend to have warm golden coats, while those farther north often have pale grey fur that thickens for winter.
This species has several living subspecies, each adapted to its environment. These include the Bengal leopard cat found from India through Southeast Asia; the Javan, Sumatran and Bornean leopard cats on the islands of Indonesia; and the Taiwan leopard cat. One of the most distinctive is seen in today's image: the Amur leopard cat, found in the Russian Far East, Manchuria, Korea and nearby islands. It's larger and paler than its southern relatives, with features suited to cold, snowy forests.
Leopard cats are mostly nocturnal hunters, preying on rodents, birds, reptiles and amphibians. They're adaptable too, living in forests, wetlands, mountains and even agricultural landscapes across their wide range.
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