IS ALEPPO STILL THERE???

I could not find a better way to start off the New Year but recalling my visit to Aleppo, a city  meanwhile destroyed by religious fanaticism and political interests.

                                     

Did you know that the said to be the first evidence of production of soap-like materials dates back circa the year 2 800 BC??? It was located in Babylon. From there, the soap spread through the Mediterranean world on boats loaded from Damascus, Aleppo and Phoenician cities sitting on the coastal area (Lebanon).

I did find in Sidon a small production factory which sells olive oil soap cakes from Aleppo. They show exquisite shapes and very beautiful decorations. Which of which to bring back home was a hard task, indeed. I would have liked to buy one of each, at least. 

                                  

Is Aleppo still there???

Thank you!

MYSORE PALACE THAT DELIGHTED ME

Mysore Palace, in Southern India, was truly spectacular. It was built by a British architect named Henry back in 1897 after the former wooden palace burnt down for the second time. Henry loved religions and traveled to many far reaches of the earth … and this is all evident with this palace he designed. On the outside one can notice the Arab/Islamic style rounded roofs, and a Hindu style monument at the top.

The palace used to serve as the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore and also housed the royal offices.

I couldn't miss going inside the palace hall, but I could not take any pictures inside it. Cameras were not allowed. There were high ceilings with stained glassed designs. Fans, whose wings were twisted so that the air reached the ground and much much more that words can't describe.

I was told that every Sunday evening, the Palace is illuminated with no less than 1,000 bulbs. Unfortunately, my visit to Mysore happened on a weekday.
I still keep hope that some day in the future I'll make a chance to revisit it on a Sunday and then let my eyes be delighted with all the splendor of the illuminated Palace.

Thank you!

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOUR

India is a land of beautiful things and its temples are no exception to the rule. I explored a few of the hundreds that lie in and around Madurai, one of the oldest cities in India.
One of the first things that tells a foreigner that they are in India are the temples. They come in all shapes and sizes. Their silhouettes cut upwards into the skyscape; they tower over streets; their red-and-white candy cane striped walls enclose them from the chaos of everyday life. 
Madurai is dominated by the mind-blowing Sri Meenakshi Temple (photo above). The city's greatest joy is getting lost within the red and white striped walls of this place of worship.

Back in Portugal and passing by a Portuguese region not far from Oporto, I realized that its typical architecture was also characterized by red and white striped walls. The photo below shows it in a fisherman's cottage. Interesting coincidence, isn't it? 

The more I travel, the more fascinating I find it as it makes me think about the world, about my country.

Thank you!

 

WINTER WONDERLAND

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest & most beautiful national park in all of Croatia! The Plitvice Lakes contain 16 inter-locking lakes, surrounded by lush forests and is considered one of the most beautiful, natural sights in all of Europe. 

You may be wondering about the origin of such inter-locking lakes. Well, the waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. These geological processes continue today.

I was over there in the early days of winter when the Lakes didn't even looked like filled with water but with a fine mist super-imposed on a fairy tale backdrop.

Look at the waterfall below. Don't you find it ethereal?

The Plitvice Lakes are apparently one of the cleanest and most pristine lakes in the world. There are a lot of preservation efforts to ensure that the Lakes remain clean and that the “blue” of the lakes doesn’t fade away. For instance, swimming in the lakes is strictly prohibited.

I took many many photos but I regretted it later when I had to sort through all those photos. I felt like I couldn't do the breathtaking views of the Lakes enough justice. It was really quite stunning.

The vegetation, the rocky cliffs, the lakes along with stunning waterfalls, all blend into one seamless green-blue extravaganza that it's impossible to get tired of the beauty. 

The forests in the Park are home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species. I would have liked to have been greeted, even at a distance, by any of them but I saw none but these pretty flowers that made me pick up my camera and take a shot.

There are several scenic nearby hotels and lodging right next to the Park itself. I stayed the overnight in one of these and, though apparently they might look not very inviting when seen from outside, the ambiance was really cozy, inside.

The sun hadn't shine while it was snowing, so there was snow the next day.

Please believe me, it's definitely a must-see!

Thank you!

THE HOUSE CRASH WAS OVER

Credit: Google

Have you ever been afraid that a house might fall over you and squash you? I know what it looks like, but no, that house did not just fall out of the sky. It was an artistic project of the famous Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm. His purpose was set it up especially to look like a house just falling out of the sky and landing on the Viennese Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK). You may wonder why did Wurm did it so. That was his statement against over-development.

In 2007, I had to travel to Vienna and having already read about the 'House Crash', I was very curious to see it in person. A walk away from the hotel, I was in the most compact and notorious neighbourhood of Vienna. Standing in the middle, I was surrounded by the MUMOK but... no House Crash! I was tremendously upset.

Have a nice week!
Thank you!

A SLICE OF HEAVEN RELOCATED ON EARTH

Today I am focusing on the India's spectacular marble Jain temple, seated majestically on the slope of a hill, in the village of Ranakpur, near Udiapur.  This beautiful building dates from 1432 and it's said that it took one hundred years to complete the whole structure. 
It's a stunning piece of architecture most notable for the quality and variety of its carved surface decoration. The turrets and domes of the temple are supported on over 1,444 pillars, each one with its own individual and unique carving.

The Temple, dedicated to the Lord Adinath, has entrances at the four compass points and images of the Lord facing in each direction in the central chamber. The marble sculpture of Maidevi, the mother of Adinath, on the back of an elephant, is of an amazing grandeur.  

Either seen from the outside or looking at its interior, the Temple is an architectural marvel, as delicate as finely embroidered lace, yet as imposing and complex in design as it's profoundly logical. 

If in the future, you have a chance to travel through India, I would suggest you to never miss visiting this architectural jewel.

Thank you!

STROLLING ALONG THE QUAYS OF ZADAR

Zadar, in Croatia, was called Zara in the ancient times. Its history is closely related to a continuous and continued struggle.

The rectangular street plan that had been left by the Roman in the XIV century was occupied by the Venetians and the Turkish. However, the Italian influence is noticeable. 

The interconnection between the city and the Mediterranean Sea gives an amazing sequence of views of boats and buildings in an appropriate scale. 

The street pavements and quays are made out of white limestone and sometimes of white marble.

Zadar water organ facing Zadar channel is a fantastic new achievement. Simple and elegant steps, carved in white stone, underneath which there are 35 musically tuned tubes with whistle openings on the sidewalk. As the boats sail by, the movement of the sea pushes the air through and, depending on the size and velocity of the wave, musical chords are played. The waves create random harmonic sounds. 

People wait for the boats sailing and so hear the sound of this world’s first musical pipe organ that is played by the sea.

I leave you with this last photo - a small marina - of my today's series. Hope you have enjoyed travelling with me!

Thank you!

Travelling is a state of mind

 

The experience of travelling is closely related to our dreams, our readings, the descriptions we have heard from friends and acquaintances. Samarkand, Isfahan, Marrakech, Damascus, Jaiselmer, are names that are meaningful to us.  I would say, they have some magics in themselves.

 

The impact of each name on people, depends on one's own experience, how one has got familiar with it: let's say, it might have been a movie, a book, a friend from that city...

In my personal case, that happens with the 'Silk Road'. The two words are like a knob that opens the door of my imagination to an alluring world in which one breaths a mysterious glamour. Whoever has travelled through the Central Asia routes, either in our century or much much earlier, always reports with enthusiasm how the local lifestyles and building environments are fascinating and exotic at their eyes.