There’s Something about Tallinn

11 October 2013 by 45 Comments

On my way around the Baltic Sea with my family a couple of years ago, we stopped in the capital of Estonia:  Tallinn.  It was not a picture perfect June day weather-wise but, of course, we wanted to get off the ship and see the town.  Tallinn is an old city in that part of Europe (think 13th century) and was known for most of these centuries as Reval (file under the “I’d never heard that name” category…).  Nowadays is called more the Silicon Valley of the Baltic due to the presence of technology companies (Skype came from here!).

Estonia has a a strong cultural affinity to its northern neighbor, Finland (or is it the reverse?) and after Estonia broke the yoke of Soviet rule, it pulled towards its northern and quite successful neighbor.  Tallinn itself is only 50 miles from Helsinki, Finland’s capital – a ferry ride away if you are ever in that part of the world or if you are lucky enough to fly Finnair to connect and go elsewhere (I flew that airline in 1997 and it is still one of my top 2 flying experiences!).

In any case the best thing for me about Tallinn was its charm.  You truly see that it has been there since medieval times, yet you can tell that it has been through other periods too as its architecture well shows.  From the city walls, to the 15th century Church of St. Olaf, to the 18th century Toompea Palace, to the late 19th century Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, to its very modern district, the city covers many centuries where it was spared destruction, unlike cities like Berlin, Warsaw, and others.

I hope the pictures I share here give you a feel for what I mean that there’s something about Tallinn.  A one day visit clearly not enough to truly enjoy the town (wish I could have hung out at the cafés enjoying a few beers until sunset…) but I never complain about getting to sample a place, especially when it is as charming as Tallinn.  It is no wonder it is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site!  I hope to return and explore ALL that the city has to offer!

Click on the photos to enlarge!


The city walls that go around the old town
Along the city walls
One of the towers along the city walls
Typical architectural detail in the old town
Gorgeous old architecture surrounded by lively cafés make Tallinn an incredible charming town
The tallest structure is St. Olaf’s Church – from 1549 to 1625 it was THE tallest structure in the world!
Another beautiful architectural detail in a church right outside old town
Beautiful streets to walk around and get lost… and stop for a beer… or a coffee..
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral built in 1894–1900 (feels like Russian period)
Toompea Palace from the 18th century
Feeling a little art deco
The modern part of the city
Being late spring, flowers were no strangers to the scene

 

Filed Under: Estonia, Europe Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Photo of the Week – Château of Azay-le-Rideau, Loire Valley

27 August 2013 by 4 Comments

A few years ago, right before spending two weeks in Tours, France for language immersion, I spent a few days exploring the wines and chateaux of the Loire Valley.  Chenonceau, Chambord, etc. are all phenomenal castles to explore with their idyllic settings, great architecture, and sense of history.  One of my favorite settings and chateaux was the château in Azay-le-Rideau.  It was built in the early 16th century on an island in the Indre River and it just seems to come straight out of the water!

Chateau d'Azay Le Rideau, Loire valley, France, castle, architecture, renaissance, history, azay, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

The Loire Valley is a place to spend weeks exploring!

 

Filed Under: Europe, France Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Roman Ruins in Jordan | Ancient Jerash

27 June 2013 by 14 Comments

Yes, Jordan is more than Petra.  And, if you have read some of my other posts on what I saw in Jordan, you are aware of that. But when it comes to historical sites of significance, it is worth noting there are important and well-preserved Roman ruins in Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom.  Jerash, in northwestern Jordan, is historically quite important on its own right even if overshadowed by the more famous Petra further south.  However, Jerash struck me not only for its historical significance but also because it was alive!

Jerash – the ancient Greco-Roman city

Before I tell you how it is alive, let’s explore the historical and architectural gem Jerash is.  Jerash (known as Gerasa in older times) was a city built originally in Greco-Roman times.  This is estimated to have been established in the 4th century BC.  After a large earthquake in the 8th century and further destruction brought about by other earthquakes and wars, Jerash became a footnote of history.  That is, until it was begun to be excavated in the early 19th century and the rise of uncovering Roman ruins in Jordan.  Even Emperor Hadrian himself visited Jerash in his days and there is a triumphal arch commemorating that visit.  Jerash was not just a backwater outpost.

Arch Hadrian Roman ruin Jordan Jerash history Canon EOS Rebel

Arch of Hadrian built to honor his visit
Arch Hadrian Roman ruins history Jerash Gerasa Jordan Canon EOS Rebel
Detail of the Arch of Hadrian

What to see in Jerash:  spectacular Roman ruins

Among the many sites in Jerash to explore are the Forum, temples to Zeus and Artemis, the Cardo Maximus, the North and South theaters and many other ruins.

FOrum Roman rins Jerash Jordan history
View of the Forum at Jerash
Forum Roman ruins colonnade columns Jerash Jordan History Canon EOS Rebel
Detail of the colonnade of the Forum
Mosaic Roman ruins Byzantine church Jerash Jordan art design Canon EOS Rebel

Mosaic floor of one of the 3 contiguous Byzantine churches on the site

Along the Cardo Maximus

The Cardo Maximus is one of the most phenomenal ancient “streets” I have ever walked.  It is a column-lined road where the remnants, both standing and fallen, of the many structures that used to line it are still quite present if not alive.

Cardo Maximus Roman Ruins Colonnade Columns history Jerash Jordan Canon EOS Rebel
Visitors walking down the Cardo Maximus, the north-south colonnaded street

Fallen column Roman ruin history Jerash Jordan Canon EOS Rebel

Jerash’s ruins did not survive powerful earthquakes and other ravages as this reminds us

Columns temple artemis jerash jordan history roman ruins

Beautiful columns in the Temple of Artemis

The place is alive

Oh, you think I am talking figuratively, aren’t you??  There is a column in the Temple of Artemis that is actually moving.  You can place your hand at its base and you will feel it moving.  Yes, indeed!  But that is not quite what I mean when I say Jerash is alive…

Moving column temple artemis Jerash Jordan Roan ruins

I hesitated for a second putting my hand in there. I let someone else go first…

There were also vegetation around (this being the greener part of Jordan) like the following which also contributes to making Jerash a site that is “alive”.  But that’s still not what I mean…

Fig tree in Jerash, Jordan Roman ruins Canon EOS Rebel

Fig tree along the path

But what I really meant about Jerash being alive was neither of the prior two photos.  The day we visited there were several groups of schoolchildren visiting and they enjoyed chanting in the large Roman theater – almost like competing to see who had the best chants – and running up the stands.

Jerash Jordan children Roman theater Canon EOS Rebel

Children enjoying and LIVING the ruins!

Jerash Jordan children Roman theater Canon EOS Rebel

Children enjoying and LIVING the ruins!

Jerash Jordan children Roman theater Canon EOS Rebel

Children climbing the stands of the theater

Jerash Jordan children Roman theater Canon EOS Rebel

Jerash Jordan children Roman theater Canon EOS Rebel

The smile so typical of every kid we ran into! A happy memory for us all

Though these ancient ruins were some of the most impressive I have seem, it was great to see a historic place so alive that day – it helped me connect more to the essence of Jordan via its children!

Pin this image to your travel planning board – amazing Roman ruins in Jordan !

Roman ruins in jordan, jerash, gerasa, roman architecture in jordan

Check out these other posts about Jordan:

During this trip, I was a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board.  That notwithstanding, the stories I share were my real experiences and nothing else.  As they always are!

Filed Under: Asia, Jordan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Landing in Sao Paulo and Experiencing It

20 June 2013 by 12 Comments

As a travel blogger, I read other bloggers’ blogs because, you could say, I like the topic.  I always enjoy when one of them goes to Brazil for the first time and I get to read their writings about their experience.  Those writings remind me I want to go back badly.  I traveled to Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) a few times for business in the late 1990s and found it a mesmerizing country even though I spent weekdays working.  But the cool thing was that Brazil was a great experience even while working – THAT’S how great this country and its people are!

Let me jog your memory – if you are old enough!

My trips to Brazil happened in 1997 – a LONG time ago:  before the Internet was prevalent, email being a young thing in the consumer space, and when flights used PAPER tickets!

Airplane ticket old non-electronic flight memento souvenir antique

Who remembers these???

Landing in Sao Paulo

Arriving in Sao Paulo for the first time I remember looking out of my plane window and seeing high rises as far as my eyes could see on final approach.  It was MIND-BLOWING!

Landing Sao Paulo Guarulhos airport city urban

This pic doesn’t show the true myriad of high rises!

I remember that the airport had bank machines right when one went outside after claiming luggage and going through customs.  (Exit and make a left.)  I was quite impressed by that (remember, this is the late 1990s and though bank machine existed since the 1980s, international networks connecting bank machines abroad to your bank at home was not commonplace yet!).  I wonder if that bank machine is still there…  Anyone??

Working in Brazil

One of the things I consider myself lucky to have experienced was working in Brazil.  It is one thing to go to the beaches of Rio and things like that – all wonderful experiences.  But it is another to be truly in the day-to-day hustle-and-bustle in a business environment.  And one thing I learned is that Brazilians are just as warm and fun at work as they are out in the beaches or clubs.  I got to speak “portuñol” at work with colleagues who did not speak English.  It was a fun meeting when I met with the Marketing Director at my client and he spoke Brazilian Portuguese and me in my Spanish peppered with the few words in Portuguese that I had picked up that were different than Spanish (“acho” in Portuguese, “creo” in Spanish; meaning, “I believe”).

What number, obrigado?

Another funny thing from those days that I wonder if it still exists in Brazil in “this day and age”:   I worked on a high-rise building on floor 10, 11, or 12, I can’t recall.  When you walked into the elevator, you were NOT supposed to press the button for the floor you were going to.  No, no voice recognition back then.  See, in that building and -probably many others- there were “elevator ladies.”  I know, I know, that sounds like a variation of the world’s oldest profession but it wasn’t – to my knowledge anyway.  They had a stool to sit on, though they weren’t always sitting on them.  Their job was to “man” the controls of the elevator.  You know those complicated buttons next to those hieroglyphs we call “numbers.”  Yes, I am sure a legacy of some nanny state period.  And when they went home, guess what?  The elevators would no longer run.  I learned that the hard way one day when I stay beyond their working hours (which you can imagine, were not too many minutes after 5 or 6 PM – I can’t recall).  So, I walked down the stairs that night.  What I did get to appreciate was how quickly they learned the floor you normally went to such that you no longer had to tell them which floor’s button they needed to press.  See?  They were EFFICIENT!

A convenient bridge to Rio de Janeiro

Work was in Sao Paulo but I got to take the ponte aerea (“air bridge”) to Rio for the weekends :).  The ponte aerea was a multi-flight per hour air-bus that enabled the passenger to just arrive at the airport and buy a ticket for the next flight with an open seat from whichever of the three participating airlines.  If I recall, back then there were three flights per hour.   I REALLY appreciated not having to stress over traffic delays for a scheduled flight time (and, boy, is traffic BAD in Sao Paulo!).  Mercifully, this ponte aerea ran from Congonhas airport which was right in the city versus Guarulhos, the big international airport, which is way further out.  I have read since that this arrangement ended as the domestic airlines decided to go their own way in terms of flight schedules and pricing.

ponte aerea air bridge congonhas airport sao paulo brazil

Three airlines that partnered in the late 1990s on the air bridge

In any case, Congonhas (site of a few plane crashes) is known for being a difficult airport to land and take-off from given it is surrounded by high rises (clearly the city grew without proper regulations) and short runways.  Before 1985, when it used to be the main airport of the city, longer haul flights had to go to Rio and then passengers would go on a smaller plane to Sao Paulo..  At the time I was blissfully oblivious to all this and just enjoyed said take-offs and landings…  In any case, more about Rio in another post!

Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Congonhas (Source: http://xtremefast.com/information/the-world%E2%80%99s-7-strangest-airports.html)

Food in Brazil

One thing I learned to love in Sao Paulo was pao de queijo.  It is the small morsel filled with cheese that you get with that shot of espresso anywhere down any street.

pao de queijo brazil espresso morsel cheese

Mmm!!!!!

It is ADDICTIVE – as are the espresso shots and any coffee for that matter in Brazil.  At work, there was a young woman who worked out of a mini-kitchen, almost a closet, whose sole job seemed to be to walk around the floor wearing a maid uniform serving rounds of coffee.  It was a throwback to how things must have been long ago in corporate America, think Mad Men maybe.

One thing I learned during those trips was how good food was in Sao Paulo!  I am not just talking local food, though “local food” there means a high diversity of regional cuisines like form Bahia (Bargaço on Oscar Freire was outstanding!) and others.  I am also talking about French, Italian, Japanese, etc.  Speaking of Japanese, did you know Brazil has the largest colony of Japanese outside of Japan?  They migrated to Brazil starting in the early 20th century and it is said there over a million people of Japanese descent in the country.  But I digress.  I had many phenomenal meals.  And I wonder if any of those places are still there…  La Vecchia Cucina, Charló, Gero, etc. (OK, I just searched and they seem to still be open!  Now I REALLY have to go back!)

Charlo Restaurant food Sao Paulo, Brazil

One of the many restaurants in Sao Paulo that I enjoyed. I just looked in the Internet and it seems to still exist!

The food in Sao Paulo is some of the best I have ever had in one city.  PERIOD!

Sorry Sao Paulo, I can’t do you justice here…

This post will not get even close to do justice to this megalopolis (that feels like one for sure!).  But, trust me, Sao Paulo is understatedly fascinating.  Food, art, nightlife (oh yes, I had a BLAST!), architecture and people all make it a really interesting place to visit.  It doesn’t feel like London, Paris, or its closest neighbor, Rio.  Because this is not a city one explores – it is a city one experiences!

Ave. Paulista in Sao Paulo, Brazil architecture

View towards Ave. Paulista

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As I wrote this post, I was amazed at how good these photos look despite being 16 years old back in the day when all photos were, umm, not digital!  Thanks to my faithful Canon EOS Rebel!

Filed Under: Brazil, South America Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Charming Town of Kotor, Montenegro

13 June 2013 by 12 Comments

Kotor, Montenegro was an almost accidental destination for me.  The anchor destination for the trip was Italy but my wanderlust wanted me to go further to new places (even though Pompeii was new to me).  So I added Croatia by visiting the gem of the Adriatic:  Dubrovnik.  But then I found out about day trips to Mostar (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and Montenegro.  It didn’t take much for me to say “sold!”  Kotor was a very picturesque and “alive” town with its cafés and old architecture.

Café scene in old town Kotor, Montenegro Canon EOS Rebel

Part of the café scene

Kotor sits between the bay of the same and the mountain of St. John which was fortified as early as the 6th century.  This town has passed from empire to empire from Roman times, Byzantine times, Republic of Venice’s time, Hapsburg times, Bulgarian times, Ottoman times and Yugoslav times among others (even if not all those officially had the name “empire”…).  You get the picture of the changes this places must have gone through over two millenia!

Sea Gate in Kotor, Montenegro part of the fortifications city wall Canon EOS Rebel

The Sea Gate which dates from the 16th century

Madonna with Child in the Sea Gate of Kotor Montenegro carving Canon EOS Rebel architecture detail

Madonna with Child in the Sea Gate

fortification wall tower Kotor Montenegro St. John history Canon EOS Rebel

Fortifications consist of large walls interspersed with towers along the water and up the mountain

Its architecture, heavily influenced by the Venetian style, contributed to it being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site which seconds my recommendation that this is a place that ought to be checked out – the trip to reach it is both, worth effort AND beautiful as Kotor Bay is a unique setting – in and of itself worth seeing in person.

Architecture in Kotor, Montenegro Canon EOS Rebel balcony

Architecture in Kotor, Montenegro tower Canon EOS Rebel

Architecture in Kotor, Montenegro street Canon EOS Rebel

Architecture in Kotor, Montenegro Canon EOS Rebel

Churches in Kotor

Kotor has quite a few churches from different times – 11 if I counted correctly on the tourist map for this town of around 13,000 inhabitants.

St. Tryphon's Cathedral in Kotor, Montenegro - crucifix, museum Canon EOS Rebel

Crucifix in the small gallery on the second level of St. Tryphon’s Cathedral

St. Tryphon's Cathedral - alter and crucifix in Kotor, Montenegro Canon EOS Rebel

Altar and crucifix in St. Tryphon’s Cathedral

St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in front of St. Lucas in Kotor, Montenegro Canon EOS Rebel

St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church (facing St. Lucas Church) in Kotor, Montenegro

Church of St. Lucas in Kotor, Montenegro Romanesque architecture photo Canon EOS Rebel

12th century Church of St. Lucas – Romanesque style

Getting lost in Kotor -and is true in many places – is a neat way to see this town and, trust me, you won’t be lost for too long as you are bound by the mountain, the moat or the Sea Gate!

Filed Under: Europe, Montenegro, Travel Journal Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Photo of the Week: The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia

29 January 2013 by Leave a Comment

The title of this post seems like a mouthful:  Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (Basilica of our Lady of Altagracia).

Basilica Altagracia Higüey Dominican Republic church

This massive structure in Higüey, Dominican Republic is to honor the Virgin of Altagracia, national patron saint of the country.  It was inaugurated in the 1970s and is within reach of many tourist centers in the DR, like Punta Cana.  Its design is very original and it is worth checking out whenever you are ready to take a break from the beach!  While you are at it, maybe meander around town – who knows what hole-in-the-wall delicious food you may find!  A few more photos to wrap this post!

Basilica Altagracia Higüey Dominican Republic church

Basilica Altagracia Higüey Dominican Republic church

Detail of the front door

Basilica Altagracia Higüey Dominican Republic church

 

Filed Under: Dominican Republic, South America, Special Photos Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Photo Essay: Bucharest, Romania

25 January 2013 by 2 Comments

Bucharest was my gateway into Romania and I was eager to see this city that has always -for some strange reason- been an object of my curiosity.  The capital of Romania has been called the “Paris of the east” due to French architecture influence  – but perhaps also because the pre-communist elite had the airs?  I am not really sure but it definitelyhas  architecture reminiscent of the French capital.  In any case, Bucharest is a relative newcomer as a capital city having been picked as capital of Romania only in 1862.  It is a city of over 1.6 million inhabitants – and it feels that way:  a city with the weight of any capital city, with all the attributes of a European city, yet not quite a megalopolis or an international center.

There are too many photos to share so I will place them here in a gallery at the end so you can see some of what caught my eye in terms of architecture, monuments (especially to the 1989 revolution), streets, etc.  Just click on the images to enlarge them!  But first some thoughts on the city…

Architectural potpourri

It is very interesting to see this architecture in Bucharest because it usually is mixed in with very different styles. It almost feels that either construction in the city skipped a few periods or styles as some parts have very different styled buildings next to each other.  Maybe that is what some communism legacy does and what a deliberate demolition of old portions of a city will do (Nicolae Ceausescu, the communist dictator, razed parts of the city for his grandiose building, now the Parliament).  I don’t know as I am not an expert either in architecture or Romania!   This cacophony of styles gives it an interesting air…  And/or perhaps, I needed to see more of the city than I got to?

Old Town Bucharest

Old Town Bucharest is charming like the older part of a any city and, at night, is very lively and a great place to go to have dinner, watching folks go by, and then stay for drinks and more people watching.  We enjoyed a night out on a nice summer evening the night before our return home – good food, good wine, and lots of good laughs.

Not far from Old Town you encounter the grandiose communist buildings sponsored by Ceausescu – a madman of sorts yet independent enough to say no to the USSR whenever he felt like it.  (How DID he get away with it??!!)  In any case as I mentioned earlier, much of the older city was destroyed by him to pave way for these new buildings.  It is sad to think that, until the early 1980s, the old district was much larger and probably containing some gems that are now lost.

Sights around Bucharest

Bucharest has a canal going through it (the Dâmboviţa river that goes through town was channelized in the late 1800s to prevent the flooding that the city suffered periodically) and nice parks, especially near the Romanian Arc de Triomphe.  In that area you will tend to see foreign embassies and it seems a nice place to be if you live in Bucharest.  The most grandiose building of the communist period already has an entire post to itself here so I will not add those pictures to the gallery here.  Just know that around it are similar though slightly smaller buildings also built as part of Ceausescu’s grand plan.  One of those was built to house guests of Mr. Ceausescu and now serves as a magnificent J.W. Marriott!

Unfortunately, I did not get to spend much time in Bucharest as the focus of my trip was elsewhere.  However, I did get to see some of the key places around town, such as the former royal palace, a few churches, the monument to the revolution (eerie), and the balcony where Ceausescu stood in his final days trying to give a speech but, in a crucial moment in history, the crowd turned on him and the whole thing unraveled for Nicky  (I remember watching that in the US in the news the day it happened!).  I will end the post with the gallery of sights around Bucharest – enjoy!

(Click on the thumbnail to see the entire photo!)

Calea Victoriei, one of the main streets in the city
Athenaeum near Revolution Square
University Library Building in C. Victoriei
More on the memorial to the revolution that freed Romania from communism
Powerful memorial to the pains of communism at Revolution Square
The Novotel Hotel on C. Victoriei also blends the old and new
One of my favorite buildings ever! Creative juxtaposition
National Art Museum – a former palace
Front of the Cretulescu Basilica
Cretulescu Basilica towards C. Victoriei
CEC Bank Palace
One of the many streets to enter Old Town; very lively at night!
The faithful at Goldsmith’s Church dating from the 1850s
A veritable cable maze!
Home in the center
Dambovita river riverside near the National Opera
National Opera
Detail of the facade of the National Opera
Cismigiu Park
Cismigiu park benches
Filed Under: Europe, Romania Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Year (or the World?) Ends… Either Way, I Travel

21 December 2012 by 17 Comments

Well, today is the day the apocalypse was to happen.  I guess a few hours are still left so maybe I shouldn’t count my eggs just yet.  BUT, if the end did happen, guess what?  I can still blog from purgatory and you KNOW that would be an incredible travel story.  Just hope it is not one of being stuck there forever, like when I was stuck in Europe because of the Icelandic volcano (which did turn out well) or someone else’s horrible travel story.  Also, if the world did end, purgatory looks a lot like my house (and if the world did NOT end, I need to make some minor changes at home…).

So the end of anything usually calls for some reflection and be it the end of the world or the end of the year, I feel like reflecting on my very busy 2012…

A Texas tweetup in January

January saw me taking what felt like a bold step – to travel somewhere to meet people I met online.  At first that has an almost dirty sound to it, doesn’t it?  But I had been talking on Twitter with these three folks for many months and they were clearly people I would enjoy meeting in person and exploring with.  So off to awesome Austin, Texas for the Texas tweetup!  There I met in person @kirkcole, @L_e_a_h, and @LolaDiMarco.  Unfortunately, a severe cold hit me on the day I traveled so I was not able to partake in all the activities but enjoyed a good day’s worth of laughing and eating in Austin!

Photo of people reflected in the fender of a car

Can you find the Austin tweetup fab 5 in the picture?

Normal in February – and other months

Traveling to DC for work permeates every month this year so my normal continued in February.  Recovered from the Austin tweetup and post-Christmas parties in January, February was time to relax and be home (or in DC). Over the year, I got to check new things in DC that I had not explored yet in the last year.  Doing the White House tour was a long-time bucket list item that I finally made happen.  I continued exploring and enjoying many of the DC’s finest hotels like The Mayflower, the Sofitel Lafayette, and the Renaissance on 9th St.  DC is a wonderful town if you get out and explore.  Its many beautiful brownstones and local eateries are a joy to explore.

March Madness:  Mile High Skiing

The traveling continued in March – this time a great ski trip with dear friends to Vail and Breckendridge, two places I had been dying to try for many years.  The trip did not disappoint and neither did my skiing, not having skied since Valle Nevado, Chile in the Andes in 2010.  Vail and Breck WILL be in a future ski trip for me, I can tell.  The bowls of Vail where incredible:  one bowl, then another one behind it, then another.  It seemed to never end!

Statue of skier in Vail, Colorado

How thoughtful! Vail had a statue of me at the base of one of the slopes!

Amicci en Italia and diving into eastern Europe in April

April finally brought about the “long”-planned trip to Italy with two sets of great friends.  Though mainly focused on Rome (a city I love re-visiting), a side trip to finally see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast was built into the itinerary.  It did not disappoint, especially our guide in Pompeii, one of the preeminent experts on Pompeii!.

But I took advantage of being on the other side of the pond to add another iconic destination I had never explored:  Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Its tiled roofs and architecture combined with the natural setting of its location made it a magical place for me.  Of course, ever eager to see more, I decided to get further into eastern Europe while in Dubrovnik by doing day trips into Bosnia & Herzegovina (Mostar) and into the beautiful mountains and bays of Montenegro!  These day trips were short, obviously, but they definitely opened the appetite to see more of these countries and this part of Europe.

View from up high of Kotor Bay in Montenegro

One of the ridges that divides Kotor Bay into 2 bays in Montenegro

Re-charging, re-connecting, and exploring Chicago

May saw a second tweetup, this time in the Windy City since we were eager to connect with other travel bloggers we had been chatting with for awhile.  The Windy City tweetup had a little bit of everything:  from French goodness (courtesy of the Sofitel Water Tower), Charlie’s Angels, boat tour, fallen traffic lights (not our fault!), doughnuts, cold coffee, good food, drinks (repeat), and the mob.  It was a very fun weekend indeed meeting @workmomtravels, @travelingted, @jettingaround, and @elatlboy in person.

Posing in front of the Bean in Chicago at Millenium Park

Being tourists at The Bean

More fun with fellow travelers and good learnings

In June, TBEX, a travel bloggers conference, held its North America conference in Keystone, Colorado (very close to Breckenridge where I’d just been 3 months before; who knew I would be returning to the area so soon!).  Besides the interesting learnings, the reception at the mountaintop on Friday night and the ensuing party at the pub at base (free!) really made the weekend a lot of fun and a good time to meet others who share the travel bug and re-connect with others.  Among the great folks I met (too many to list all!):  @BlBrtravel, @stayadventurous, @captainandclark, @lazytravelers, @budgettravelsac, and @travelrinserept.

A trek with a purpose in Romania and a true relic of the USSR

Romania had been a mysterious place that I had always dreamed of seeing.  Not because I knew I would love it but it just called to me.  A wonderful opportunity came my way to do a hike in the Transylvanian Alps with Trekking for Kids, a non-profit seeking to bring improved lives to orphaned/at-risk children around the world.  We worked with the orphanage and just “were” with the kids before and after a hike through some beautiful landscapes around Brasov – we even saw castles other than Dracula’s!  An experience I will never forget every which way, including it was my first multi-day hike ever!

Sphinx-like rock in the Bucegi Mountains near Omu Peak, Romania

Who knew there was a Sphinx atop the Transylvanian Alps (near Omu Peak)??

Since I was headed that way, I decided Romania (more precisely, the town of Iasi, Romania’s cultural capital) would be a great springboard to explore Moldova.  So with my great guide, I explored churches, monasteries, towns (including the capital, Chisinau), and wineries in this little known former Soviet socialist republic still working to undo decades of horrible communist dictatorship.  I am SO glad I made the time for this unpolished gem at the edge of eastern Europe!

The trip ended with a one-day, two-night in awesome Paris, my home away from home in Europe.  Always love re-visiting my favorite areas and still finding new things to enjoy!

Time with Family in Tampa on my sister’s birthday in August

August also included a trip to Tampa where my family lives – always good to be with them, and enjoy good Cuban food and TLC!  I had just been there in June (when I visited the impressively set-up Dali museum) but my Mom turned 70 while I was in Romania and my sister was hitting a milestone birthday of her own in August so I just HAD to go and celebrate with them!

Rest in September

In September, I took a break from travel.  Well, non-business travel… But read on, the year of travel is not over!

Architecture and Wine:  Tuscany or Bordeaux, you say?  No, Virginia in October!

I finally succumbed to friends’ suggestion that I explore Virginia wine country with them.  I had been wanting to do this for a long time but other travel got in the way.  I took advantage of being in the DC area for work to go ahead and spend a weekend with them in wine country.  And got out RIGHT BEFORE Sandy passed by!  As you can read in my writings about this central part of Virginia, Monticello, Charlottesville and the countryside are filled with early colonial history and architecture as well as delicious wines.  And there are close to 200 other wineries in the state to be found and explored!  I was glad to have this opportunity to see more of my own country and other places will be in my sights in 2013 (like Michigan and Wisconsin thanks to friends from Chicago who write about these places!).

Cemetery where Thomas Jefferson is buried in Monticello on a fall day

Cemetery where Thomas Jefferson is buried in Monticello on a fall day

OK, now I rest ‘xcept for Thanksgiving in November

So, my fun travels wrap up for the year save for visiting family again in Tampa where I discover yet another new place for good Cuban food!  Someone STOP the madness! 🙂

I reflect back on the year and I am amazed at how much I have been able to see of places I have always wanted to see.  And this is setting aside the twenty-something weeks of work travel to DC!   The bucket list shrinks and yet I add new places I learn about.  I consider THAT my most important key performance indicator – a never-ending travel bucket list!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and the best in 2013 for you and yours!

Filed Under: Travel Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Curacao Photo Essay: Art, Architecture and Some Very Dark Skies

8 November 2012 by 5 Comments

I enjoyed food, music and sun in Curacao but I also enjoyed admiring the art and architecture in this amazing island!  High kudos to the Hotel Kura Holanda for preserving the beautiful architecture and allowing visitors to walk through it!

No better way than sharing pictures to help you see what caught my eye. 

Click on the picture to see a full version of the photo, not just a cropped thumbnail version!  Then leave me a comment telling me which is your favorite (you can refer to the number in the caption).

1. Entrance to the port past the fort and the Renaissance Marriott
2. Detail of the Queen Emma pontoon (floating) bridge with the Queen Juliana bridge in the background
3. Cargo ship entering St. Anna Bay with the Queen Juliana bridge in the background
4. Detail of the pontoon bridge
5. Otrobanda blue
6. Otrobanda guava
7. Grounds of the Hotel Kura Holanda in Otrobanda
8. Grounds of the Hotel Kura Holanda in Otrobanda
9. Art in the Hotel Kura Holanda
10. Grounds of the Hotel Kura Holanda in Otrobanda
11. Art in the Hotel Kura Holanda
12. Art at a local museum. From the side, it was in the shape of Africa
13. Beauty in progress in Otrobanda
14. Contrast in Willemstad
15. Beautiful colonial architecture
16. A little worn but still beautiful
17. The Punda waterfront lined up with cafés
18. Nice Punda architecture
19. Punda
20. Home in Punda
21. Punda homes on a steep road
22. Threatening skies
23. Threatening skies – that did get me wet
Filed Under: Caribbean/C America, Curacao, Special Photos Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Photo Essay of the Center of Moldova’s Capital: Chisinau

13 August 2012 by 18 Comments

Having added Moldova to my Romania trip itinerary , Chisinau (pronounced KISH-now), its capital, had to be central to the visit as it is the main town in this country of approximately 3.6 million people (Chisinau itself has around 750,000 inhabitants).

Chisinau road sign, Moldova
Welcome to Chisinau
Street scene near central Chisinau, Moldova
Street scene near central Chisinau (and darkening skies!)
Street scene in Chisinau, Moldova
Bus stop scene in Chisinau

The city, which was founded in the 1430s, has a complex history since it was at the crossroads of various empires.  It is said that it had the largest proportion of Jewish population in Europe in 1900 at 43% of the city’s population.  The city was nearly destroyed in 1940 when the Soviets took over and the city was hit by an earthquake, and, later by Nazi attacks and occupation.  I saw old structures but not many that pre-date this period (to my untrained eye).  The Jewish population, as in other places, was wiped out to a good extent during the Nazi occupation.

Booth in Chisinau, Moldova
Perhaps one of the older structures around??!!
Some of the older architecture in Chisinau, Moldova
Example of older architecture in Chisinau, Moldova

City Hall, finished in 1901 but re-built after WW II due to the damage it sustained, is one of the best architectural pieces in town, built in Italian Gothic style.

City Hall of Moldova's capital city, Chisinau
Chisinau City Hall

Of course, a lot of buildings I saw are post-WW II.  Many of the big style government buildings, apartment bloc buildings, and hotels were built in that post-war period, with the implications to architecture that that entails…

Apartment blocs in Chisinau. Moldova
Apartment blocs, many in different states of repair

Parliament Building was damaged during demonstrations in 2009 and is under repair.  It used to house the Central Committee of the Communist Party during Soviet times.

Parliament Building in Chisinau, Moldova
Parliament Building
The now-abandoned National Hotel in Chisinau, Moldova
The now-abandoned National Hotel
Hotel Chisinau (open) in Moldova
Hotel Chisinau (open)
Telecom company building in Chisinau, Moldova
Office building
Presidential Palace in Chisinau, Moldova
Presidential Palace
Underground tunnel in Chisinau, Moldova
Underground tunnel for pedestrians – great artwork
Ministry of Agriculture in Chisinau, Moldova
Ministry of Agriculture

I enjoy looking at the architecture in a city to get a mental image of the place and how it evolved.  Clearly, history has been wiped out a good bit by war, earthquakes, and the Soviet regime.  But I also like to see what people do.  Unfortunately,  a countryside-heavy itinerary kept me mostly out of Chisinau.  Also, I didn’t find any cafés in the central part of the city as I walked around so it was harder to sit back and watch life go by (well, I could have sat on a sidewalk but not the same!). Still, I saw life go by in its own way.

Old lady crossing Stefan cel Mare Boulevard in Chisinau, Moldova
Old lady crossing Stefan cel Mare Boulevard
Man crossing street in Chisinau, Moldova
Man crossing street

I did visit the main park in the city center, named after the national hero Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), which definitely seems to be popular with locals with its trees, lawn areas, fountains and the Alley of the Classics (with sculptures of literature and political greats for Moldovans).

Stefan cel Mare Central Park in Chisinau, Moldova
Stefan cel Mare Central Park
Ever-present Stefan cel Mare near the same-named park in Chisinau, Moldova
Ever-present Stefan cel Mare near the same-named park

My guide asked me asked me when we met “why Moldova?”.  I answered because “it’s there and I wanted to see what it was like.”   Yet, I fully realize that to really get to know a country and its people, it takes a lot more than a short visit and the sightseeing.  I was fortunate to have a great guide, Dumitru, (whom I’d recommend for anyone traveling there!) for 3 days who shared a lot with me about Moldova and Moldovans, about the times before and after the fall of the USSR, about the country’s current challenges, about the business environment, and about the hidden treasures this small country has to offer for those willing to take the extra steps to get to see it.

Filed Under: Europe, Moldova Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

A Big Ego Needs A Big Building: the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest

10 August 2012 by 21 Comments

For me, visiting any city in the world means seeking to know its unique character, exploring the different types of neighborhoods, visiting some of the key sites (monuments, museums, grand boulevards, riversides, etc.), sampling its food, and watching life go by when time allows it.  Paris has the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter, and the omni-present cafés.  Rome has Roman ruins galore, the Trastevere, and the Campo de Fiore.  Santiago has the Cerro Santa Lucia and the Barrio Bellavista.  And, as I have recently learned, Bucharest has the Palace of Parliament and Old Town.

The Palace of Parliament (“Parliament”) is such a massive building and its story equally massive in the insanity of the project that it is worth its own writeup.  It is the second largest building in the world (after the U.S. Pentagon) and, ergo, the largest civilian building the world.  And it certainly is a great way to understand recent Romanian history and the mental health, perhaps, of its long-in-power, last communist leader, Ceausescu.

Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania. Ceausescu's legacy.

Visiting Parliament

Seeing the building from the outside is quite a sight.  It is HUGE.  But to best appreciate the scale of the structure and the ego that drove its construction, one MUST see it from the inside.  This means going for a tour.  There are a couple of options, one that covers the main rooms and another that adds to that visiting the main balcony and the basement.  I highly recommend the latter and it only takes about 2 hrs for the longer tour (hours are 10AM – 4PM as of July 2012).

North entrance to the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, Romania

Entrance for visitors is along the north side of the building shown here

I was surprised to learn that it has 12 stories.  It just seems so much more monumental from the outside!  It also has:

  • 340,000 sq m or 3,700,000 sq ft (the Pentagon, as a comparison, has 600,000 sq m or 6,500,000 sq ft)
  • 1,100 rooms
  • 1,000,000 cubic m of marble
  • 480 chandeliers
  • 200,000 sq m of woolen carpets (some sown on-site so they could be installed as they were so big!)
  • and so on…

Get the picture?  It is worth noting that about 95% of all materials were sourced within Romania itself.

Seeing the land around the building (the tour takes you to the roof terrace, the best platform for the 360 degree view) also gives a sense of the massive destruction that was required in order to clear the way for its construction.   In fact, such is the extent of the land around the Parliament building that the largest Orthodox church in southeastern Europe is being built in a corner of its grounds!!  (picture that follows)

Palace of Parliaments grounds in Bucharest, Romania. Future site of church.

The History behind Parliament

Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were, to put it simply, megalomaniacs.  Crazy, narcissist, cruel, and all such words would apply as well.  Maverick applies too as he was able to keep the USSR at bay; but that is another story.  The point is that they saw the need for a monumentally-scaled building to house all of the key government bodies (to be called the “House of the People”), including serving as his residence (and bunker).  One can see easily how it would help them better control government as just being in the building would give one a sense of their (Nicolae’s and Elena’s) power and omnipresence as opposed to feeling semi-secure and semi-removed a few blocks away from them.  The new construction (though in neoclassical style) also helped drive forward the battle between the old and new which was not about aesthetics or modernity but the battle to cement communism over past systems and regimes.

So one of the most historic parts of Bucharest (with over 20 churches and 30,000 residences) was destroyed and a major hill was razed in order to clear the land for this building and other structures.  What shocked me was to learn this all happened in the 1980s!  Somehow that blew me away:  that in such “modern times”, what is called the largest peacetime (willful) destruction of a city in recent history took place.

The Ceausescus, poor them, did not get to see the building finished (it is still not finished!).  The revolution swept them out of power and out of this life in 1989.  Sweet revenge by karma, I say.

Parliament’s Indoors

The tour will take you from meeting rooms to large halls to massive hallways to ballrooms to grand staircases and everything else needed to convince people of someone’s greatness.  Even the chamber that serves as preamble to the grand ballroom was designed so that as the Ceausescus’ approached the grand ballroom, the clapping of people in the ante-chamber got acoustically magnified by the room’s design so the people waiting in the grand ballroom heard an even louder reception for them before they walked in to the grand ballroom.  (Mental note:  consider that for a future renovation of my home’s foyer…)

The grand ballroom is of great scale and the other rooms not too shabby either.  Some of them have big open spaces on the walls – were portraits of the grand couple were supposed to be hanged…

(Source: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/photo-tours.mi?marshaCode=buhro&pageID=HWPEM&imageID=0)

The meeting rooms had everything you may expect including hidden doors behind the chair Ceausescu would use in case he had to make an emergency exit.  The hall (music hall, theater, whatever you want to call it) has what has to be one of the largest chandeliers in the world (per an article in Wikipedia, the largest chandelier in the world is in the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul – who knew).  Some of the chandeliers have over 7,000 light bulbs!  For the chandelier below, there is actually a hidden room or passageway above that is used to access the light bulbs when they need to be changed!   I imagine that STILL does not make it an easy endeavor…

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_of_the_parliament_Chandelier.JPG. Author: Ferran Cornellà)

The rooms in the building are not all alike.  The styles vary based on purpose, location, etc.  As I mentioned before, the building actually is not yet finished.  In fact, there are a lot of unfinished spaces.  Curiously, the original main architect, Anca Petrescu, (there was a rather large team of architects involved – about 700!) is still the main architect today.

Ceiling in the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania

The grand balcony is worth stepping into.  The scale of the building carries onto the balcony and its columns.  Also, a little secret is that the balcony railing is shorter than normal because Mr. Ceausescu was a short man and he wanted to make sure that the “adulating crowds” saw him as tall.  Were there no psychotherapists in communist Romania??  LOL.

Balcony of the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania

So – What to Make of this One HUMONGOUS Building in Bucharest??

A few pictures do not do this building justice.  I am sure there are thousands out there.  But, of course, the best is seeing in for oneself.

It is hard to be happy with the destruction of a historic city quarter to satisfy someone’s ego.  Having said that, the building is already there and it is something to see if travels take you to Bucharest.  The scale and grandeur of this structure should put it on everyone’s must-see list for sure!

Have you been to the Palace of Parliament?  What were your thoughts as you saw it?

Filed Under: Europe, Romania Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Photo of the Week – A Piece of Great Architecture

21 June 2012 by 1 Comment

“You may normally see me in bathrooms but here I am among friends in this spectacular piece of architecture with a slightly different coating than my bathroom brethren.  I hear the blogger will be re-issuing some writeups about our site, our host town and the neighboring area.  You will see me and my buddies in all our glory!  Stay tuned!”

– Tile

Close-up of the Sydney Opera House's architecture

 

(Picture taken with Canon EOS Rebel)

Filed Under: Australia - The "Mainland", Australia & NZ, Special Photos Tagged With: , , , ,
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