STONE BOTHERING

Cornwall has a talent for surprises. You can be walking through hills and quiet villages when suddenly a single great boulder appears as if placed there by a giant’s hand. Bowl Rock near Trencrom Hill is exactly that kind of place. It looks simple at first glance yet the more time you spend with it the more fascinating it becomes. Locals will happily tell you that Bowl Rock was once a bowling ball belonging to the giants of Trencrom. The story is wonderfully absurd and that is exactly why it endures. Trencrom Hill has long been associated with tales of giant rivalries and noisy competitions played across the landscape. According to the old whispers these giants would roll stones up and down the hillsides for sport and Bowl Rock was one of the favourites. The National Trust even leans into the legend with a small plaque that nods to the tale and adds a touch of fun to the visit. When you stand beside Bowl Rock the story becomes strangely believable. The boulder is rounded almost perfect...

Peyre is one of those rare places that seem to exist both in the present and far beyond it. Located on the banks of the Tarn River in southern France, it clings to the cliffs as though grown from them, its houses blending seamlessly into the limestone walls. Visitors often stop to admire its quiet beauty, the stone archways, the cobbled paths, and the gentle sound of the river flowing below. Yet beneath its picturesque calm lies a story that stretches back hundreds of millions of years. Peyre is not just a village. It is a geological chronicle written in rock, carved by time, water, and human hands. Peyre remains quiet and almost secretive, built directly into the limestone cliffs that line the river. From a distance, its honey-colored houses seem to emerge from the rock itself. Inside the village, narrow passageways and small terraces lead visitors through a labyrinth that feels older than memory. Many of the houses are carved partly into the cliff, their walls merging with natural st...

In the dramatic landscapes of Ecuador, the Toachi River Canyon emerges as a place where nature’s power and time’s passage reveal themselves in stone. This extraordinary canyon is more than just a feast for the eyes; it is a story written in layers of rock, water, and volcanic fire, a living testament to the forces that have shaped the Earth over millions of years. For those who are drawn to the mysteries of stone and the secrets held within the land, the Toachi River Canyon offers a journey into the heart of Ecuador’s geological soul. The Birth of a Canyon The Toachi River Canyon owes its existence to the slow but relentless work of the Toachi River over countless millennia. Carving through volcanic and sedimentary rocks, the river has shaped a gorge of astonishing depth and beauty. Walking along the canyon, you can almost feel the whisper of water that has tirelessly sculpted these cliffs, revealing ancient stories in every exposed layer of stone. The land itself tells a tale of fire ...

South Brazil holds landscapes that seem carved by time itself. In the highlands of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, rivers and volcanic rock have shaped vast plateaus and deep canyons. Cliffs rise sharply from the earth, revealing layers of basalt and sandstone that record millions of years of geological history. These are places where the land tells its own story, where stone and water meet in quiet, uncompromising forms that demand attention simply by existing. The canyons of Aparados da Serra and Serra Geral National Parks are unlike anywhere else in the country. The two most celebrated are Itaimbezinho and Fortaleza, massive gashes in the earth that stretch for kilometers and fall away into dramatic walls of basalt and lush subtropical forest. They are places where geology, history, and human wonder all meet, and walking along their edges is an experience that feels both humbling and uplifting. We have walked both of them, and though each canyon has its own character and story...