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MT 21 January 2018

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maltatoday SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2018 39 Travel In the world of birds some are huge and some are small. Some, however, are seriously diminutive and – in Europe at least – you don't get any smaller than the firecrest (and its close relative the goldcrest). At the grand size of 9cm from tip of bill to tip of tail thse birds are positively tiny, and they weigh a mere five grams – that's less than a 20c coin! Yet these miniature marvels fly in from northern and eastern Europe, travelling thousands of kilometres, which includes at least a 100km non-stop marathon across the sea from Sicily. Many fly on to North Africa (another 400km non- stop stretch) but several stop here for the winter. They usually go for groves of Aleppo pines where they spend their day flitting about the needles hunting small insects. The firecrest (M. bufula tax-xemx) is so called because its pretty head includes a dash of orange-red on the crown. Next time you're walking among pines this winter, listen carefully for their faint high-pitched note. 593. FIRECREST Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation – www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 496: Find out more: Find out more: www.foemalta.org/beecause Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti BeeAware Course BEST LOCAL THING If one thing hasn't changed about me since my childhood it's my excitement in seeing California's resident seals and sea lions. San Francisco's PIER 39 is covered with them. It's an incredible sight for people in Malta where large wildlife is scarce. After the incred- ible, albeit stinky affair, get San Francisco's famous clam chowder sourdough bread bowl at nearby Fisherman's wharf. If you're down in Southern Cali- fornia stop by Children's Pool in La Jolla to see the adorable seal pups laying on the beach and frolicking in the water. BEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY Yosemite National Park. If you're thinking you've never heard of it, I'm here to remind you that you've seen it with Yosemite's Half Dome and El Capitan peaks as the epic backgrounds on Mac's operating systems. For the really adventurous, climb to the top of Half Dome (8,842 feet) for one of the most epic two-day hikes of your life. Get your permit to hike to the top at the park entrance. The first day of the trek will have you passing by massive waterfalls and up and down beautiful valleys. After camping in an upper valley, start your ascent to the daunting top of Half Dome in the early hours of the morning for an epic sunrise. Just wait until you reach the legendary cables that take you up the 45 degree backside (Don't chicken out, it's so worth it!). There are activities for everyone in Yosemite, with beautiful trails, riv- ers, waterfalls and restaurants along the valley floor as well. BEST AREAS TO WIND DOWN AND ENJOY NATURE In Northern California you will find the massive, ancient giant sequoias. The General Sherman tree, pictured here, is believed to be around 2,500 years old and is not only the largest living tree but also the largest living thing in the world by volume. The General Sherman tree is in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. You can park very close to this flat walking area making these big trees accessible for everyone. If you are craving more of a strenuous hike underneath these towering, majestic giants, there are many great trails in this national park. Before you head off to your next stop, make sure to drive through the "Tunnel Log", a massive fallen giant sequoia that has a tunnel cut out which you can drive through and take one of those great cheesy vacation photos. BEST PLACE FOR A NIGHT OUT There's something special about American cinemas. It's where it all started – Hollywood, the stars and all the glitz and glam. It's a quirky experience to enjoy a film at one of the traditional American movie theatres. Some of them have been converted to indie movie theatres while others play the big blockbust- ers. You can find one of these classic cinemas in basically every major city in California. One notable cinema that tourists and locals alike adore is the Walt Disney Studio's pre- miere cinema, the El Capitan Theatre.

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