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What to See in Naples: A Tour of Ancient Naples
I always found history boring, but I think it’s because it was never explained very well. In fact, now I´m excited to find out where we came from, who was there before us or why a city is named the way it is, etc. And doing a bit of historical research before visiting a city can really enrich your experiences there. So, since I’ll be traveling to Naples next, I wanted to get informed. I love old neighborhoods, stone houses with tiles on the floors, and seeing neighbors having conversations while taking the clothing in from their balconies, one on each side of street. Whenever I´m in one of these neighborhoods, I like to imagine what that same street would have been like in the past, some 5 or 10 centuries ago. Well, I will try to tell you about the origins of ancient Naples without boring you. If you’re also planning on visiting this city, you may want to know a little more about the city’s origins and why it is the way it is. On an island very close to Naples was once the first Greek colony in the West, in the third century BC. Its inhabitants had to leave the island due to adverse geographical conditions and move to the mainland. There, they founded a city that a century later the descendants of those Greeks decided to rename Parthenope. Subsequently, due to constant invasions by the Etruscans, the Greeks had to seek help from the Romans, and in exchange the city became part of the Roman Empire. It was then called Neapolis and was a Greco-Roman...
Where you can have the best port wine
Port wine originates in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and as a main feature, we can establish the strength it has to withstand and resist different temperatures, important aspect in commercial trade with long routes centuries ago It is in the Alto Douro wine regions in Portugal, which historically produces a lot of wine from large tracts of vineyards, but it is in England where its flavor is more noticeable and where it becomes more popular. This expansion was prompted mainly by given times of shortage of wine in England, first by wars and other conflicts in Europe, and second, because the vinho do Porto was available in seasons in which French wine was not The brandy component that is incorporated during fermentation of Port wine, is the key to providing this type of wine a much sweeter taste while constituting a higher alcohol beverage. For the connoisseurs, the types of this wine are distinguished by their bodies, tone, freshness, aging, youth and fruity flavors with hints, or dryness. From these characteristics, we list several of the most popular types, among which are: Full Wine: retinto Red Wine: Red Ruby Wine: Red Gold Tawny Wine: Dorado Tawny Wine Light: light gold Today, the most important zone as far as wine is concerned in Portugal, is Vila Nova de Gaia, where most wineries that offer tastings and sell wine from different classes, clients and stakeholders in the wine tourism or wine routes concentrate. Some of the wineries that we want to highlight today are: Wineries Rozès, Inc. http://rozes.com.pt Located at Rua Cândido dos Reis, 526-532, in Vila Nova...
Tassenmuseum: The Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam
Fashion lovers will find a paradise in the Amsterdam Museum of Bags and Purses. There they can get lost for hours while admiring the 4,000 pieces of its extensive permanent collections that include: handbags, wallets, suitcases and accessories. This is a journey that begins in the sixteenth century. Founded in 1996 as a museum in her own house, Hendrikje Ivo, a collector who decided to share her passion for handbags, decided to show her collection to the public after 35 years gathering valuable pieces. The museum soon became famous and started receiving more visitors and donations. In 2007 its location became so small and the collections were moved to a magnificent seventeenth century palacete, which is located in the Herengracht neighborhood. The building was home of the governor of Amsterdam in 1664, has three floors and retains its original painted ceilings and chimneys. What can you see at the museum? In addition to its permanent exhibitions, at the museum it is also possible to organize all kinds of events, so those captivated by its classic and romantic atmosphere can have a birthday party in one of its rooms, have a snack in its lovely coffee or even get married in its magical garden, as the museum has wedding license. In its permanent collection (the largest in the world dedicated to bags and purses) you will be able to see elegant handbags, purses, chic handbags, and outstanding pieces; as a bride bag made by tiny pearls in France in the eighteenth century, a leather purse from 1935 called Normandy, which was given to first class passengers on the most luxurious cruise...
Rocca al Mare in Tallinn
When it comes to arriving to a particular destination, it´s advisable to choose options that gather most of our interests. Our decisions will likely change depending on whether we travel with our family or alone. Travelling alone or with company has its pros and cons, and before going to a new destination it´s worth checking out exhaustively which options do we have at hand as well as the touristy ones. If it´s just about shopping in general, which is your favourite option? Small independent shops or a big shopping centre with all the choices in a single space? Generally, shopping centres aren´t particularly popular with travellers. However, if you´re in Rocca al Mare in Tallinn you´ll be in the city´s main shopping centre that´s an attraction that you can´t miss out on and that can articulate most of your visit in this famous area. The Rocca al Mare shopping centre is a famous shopping mall in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, which is of course the biggest city in the country. It´s worth highlighting the location of Tallinn on the coasts of the Gulf of Finland, close to Stockholm and Helsinki and west of St Petersburg, which gives it a strong cosmopolitan boost combining it with its long history. The closeness of these three important cities make Tallinn an even more attractive place for tourists from all over Europe and the world, as well as for trade. The oldest side of the city is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, since it was founded around the 13th century. The Rocca al Mare shopping centre was inaugurated in 1998 and...
Plečnik’s Ljubljana
Acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) left a lasting mark on Europe with his creativity and beautiful sense of design. The cityscapes of Vienna and Prague bear his mark; however, his crowning achievement is the city of Ljubljana. This city is home to a multitude of his creations, as he worked tirelessly to model the city on ancient Athens. His work, referred to as “Plečnik´s Ljubljana”, is counted among the 20th century’s most important works of art. Upon returning to the city in 1921, Plečnik took a job as a professor at the University of Ljubljana, and channeled his vast creativity into designing the city. His work is a masterful and unique example of creative urban planning, combining a modern approach with the classical architectural elements of ancient Greece. Plečnik´s love of classical architecture is evident throughout the city, where pillars, balustrades, lintels, and colonnades abound. Any true lover of art and architecture is sure to have Plečnik´s Ljubljana on their bucket list. It’s simply a stunning place to lose yourself for a day or five, and you’re sure to come away enriched and with a new appreciation of classical design. Here are a few of our favorite spots. Central Market One rarely looks to a market for an example of fine architecture, but the central market of Ljubljana certainly breaks that mold. The gorgeous two-storey line of riverside market halls follows the curve of the river. Semicircular windows overlook the winding river, and colonnades adorn the street-facing side. The whole complex pops with beautiful renaissance influences, graceful arches, and elegant columns. The Church of St. Michael Truly one of...
The Beauty of Autumn at the Rikugi-en Garden
Japanese gardens are true artistic creations. They are the perfect combination of plants, water, sand and rock. They invite meditation and relaxation through artificial paradises that mimic nature: simulations of lakes, rocks that are like islands or mountains, modeled trees that look like bonsai or paths leading to teahouse… Let´s look back in history. Gardening first came to Japan in the sixth century, when the nobility, the Daymo, began to undertake it as a form of refinement. The construction of gardens in Japan can be divided into three types: Tsukiyama is a landscape garden, with artificial mountains and lakes. Karesansui has precisely shaped stones that are surrounded with raked gravel, suggesting the sea and waves. Chaniwa are gardens arranged around a teahouse. The Garden Rikugi-in, in Tokyo, follows the concept of tsukiyama, since it has ponds and rocks, which are designed so that it can go in a circular path. It was created in 1702 by the feudal lord Yanagisama Yoshiyasu, therefore it’s a feudal garden inspired by “Waka” poetry, inspired by Chinese poetry and divided into six categories. That is what is meant by Rikui (Rokui means six in Japanese). It is a typical garden from the Edo period. In the Meiji era it belonged to the Iwasaki family as a second home. If you want to visit the principal residence of the family, Kyu-Iwasaki-tei tei-eni, a bus leaves from the garden to take you straight there. In 1938 it was donated to the city of Tokyo. Designated a place of special natural beauty by the city’s government in 1953, Rikugi-in has become the most famous site in...
Typical Foods of Rio de Janeiro
The typical foods of Brazil are a mixture of influences stemming from Africa, India and Portugal. Although you can now find restaurants with specialties from around the world, in this article we want to focus on the food that best represents the identity of Brazilians, which is to say, the dishes that you must try when you visit Rio de Janeiro. “Feijoada” This is usually made on Saturdays. It consists of black beans (feijão, hence the name of the dish) and white rice, foods which make up the base of the Brazilian food pyramid. They also add pork, usually bacon, cooked ground meat and / or sausage. Some people choose to add green cauliflower and there’s always a bit of orange. It is accompanied by another classic of Brazilian cuisine: the farofa, manioc (cassava) flour which is toasted and seasoned in various ways. Churrasco Churrasco, contrary to what you may think, doesn’t refer to a specific type of meat but rather any grilled meat. Barbecue joints are popular in Rio and they offer any type of grilled meat from chicken and pork to boar or even alligator! Salad or rice are served with the meat. Leão Veloso Soup This dish represents the abundance of good times, since it is a fish soup studded with quality seafood. The broth is made from shrimp heads and meaty fish, and the soups contains shellfish like lobster and shrimp as well as fried onion, tomato and saffron. If you want to try this soup, look for it in the best restaurants. File a Osvaldo Aranha By now you may have noticed...
10 places to visit in Dubrovnik (part II, 6-10)
We will continue our journey in Dubrovnik by visiting 5 more exciting places in this city. In Dubrovnik you’ll feel like in an open-air museum where you can walk freely. Lokrum Island: In this island wrecked Richard the Lionheart when he was returning from a crusade in 1192. Grateful for his rescue, he funded the Dubrovnik Cathedral. It is known that in 1023 there was an abbey and a Benedictine monastery, in which ruins, Maximilian of Habsburg built a summer villa with a spectacular garden that had plants from Australia and South America in 1839. In 1963 Lokrum Island was declared as a Natural Heritage and in 1976 as a special reserve of forest vegetation. Lokrum is an uninhabited island without cars that features several swimming areas, some of them marked as FKK (nudist). The Trsteno: The Trsteno is the only botanical garden on the Adriatic coast and the oldest Renaissance garden of Dalmatia, dating back to 1502. It is located about 20 km south of Dubrovnik and its name comes from the Croatian word trtika, which means cane. Here you’ll find unique giant oriental planes (Platanus orientalis) more than 400 years old, the largest in Europe. The garden is adorned with a beautiful baroque fountain that contains figures of Neptune and nymphs. Elafiti Islands: Visit Elaphiti Islands (Elafiti). Elaphiti derives from the Greek word elaphos, so these islands are also known as the Deer Islands. You can get here by ferry from Dubrovnik and tours last about two hours; cars are not allowed. This group of islands is composed by Daksa, Kolocep, Sv Andrija, Lopud, Ruda, Sipan, Jakljan,...
Krakow in three days
Day 1 The first day we begin with a walk around the market square, Rynek Główny. It´s the biggest medieval square in Europe and it´s the centre of the city´s cultural life. A must visit is the St Mary´s Basilica, with a beautiful altarpiece by Wit Stwosz. In the same square there´s Cloth Hall, which is one of the oldest commercial centres in the world, with a structure that dates back to the Renaissance in 1555. Inside you can find food stalls, small shops, cafés and flower shops surrounded by the statue of the great Polish Romantic poet, Adam Mickiewicz. We recommend that you visit the Romanesque churches of St Andrew and St Adalbert, the Gothic ones of St Francis, the Basilica of the Holy Trinity and the Baroque ones of St Peter, St Paul and St Anne. We suggest that you have dinner in this area in one of the many restaurants in the old town. Try some soup such as the barsszcz, made from beetroot and served with meat dumplings. Day 2 For the second day, we recommend that you go to the Kazimierz district, cradle of the famous hebrew city and the Jewish community. In this district there´s interesting Gothic churches (Corpus Christi, St Catherine, and St Margaret) and seven synagogues that are still standing. The Old Synagogue holds the Museum of Hebrew History, the Remuh Synagogue is the only one that still works as a place for prayer and it´s next to the Remuh cemetery and the Isaac, Kupah and Tempel have all been turned into museums. The district is filled with life but history is never...
