Showing posts with label exploring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exploring. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Amazing Christmas Lausanne

By accident in December we went to Switzerland to the ball. His cousin lives there near Lausanne, and she actually invited us to this event and hosted us. We went for 3 days, so we can spent on the day for Lausanne and one for Geneva before departure.

It was cold, icy wind, when we visited Lausanne so we decided to walk only in the center and don't go down to the lake.

The city is very beautiful, especially decorated for Christmas. I think in the spring and summer it is absolutely amazing. The decorations on the streets were non-traditional, modern, not the way we usually think about them - for example, clouds made of white wire, hanging men, perhaps, they were angels, but at first glance did not seemed so.

Lausanne - the 4th largest city in Switzerland, it is remarkable that is on 2 levels. This is due to the fact that it was built on three hills, which are connected by bridges. Elevation here is from 373 to 871 meters above sea level. And Since 1994, Lausanne - the official Olympic capital of the world. Here are the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, as well as key institutions for managing the Olympic movement and international sports.

Taking off the bus we got straight to the Church of St. Francis.


Here began and Christmas Market, where there was a lot of things: and knitwear, and soap and cosmetics, and jewelry.


Every weekend in the streets of the old city it is also a market, so the streets were filled with vendors of everything: lots of flowers, branches and all you need for Christmas decorations, as well as ready-made Christmas decorations for the house, vegetables and fruits, homemade canned goods and more.




mushrooms :)


After strolling through the streets and bought a jam, we went to another square with the Cathedral of Notre Dame - one of the most beautiful and important Gothic churches of Europe. At one time, it was a center of pilgrimage. Now there is a organ of 7,000 pipes.



On this square Fair moved into the category cheese-sausage (there were even Italian cheeses and pasta) and then became a flea market where I bought a pair of spoons/forks/knives for food photos.

By the way, I really liked the singing of the choir, which collected donations in the pot on the side of the photo:



And, of course, we haven't forgotten to buy in this shop some Swiss chocolate to bring it at home :)


One of the squares in the center called square Palud, decorated in the center with a beautiful colored fountain "Justice". On the square there is a clock that shows every hour a small musical performance. We were lucky and we just went at one o'clock on the square.



Here, actually, I drinking gluehwein  :)



This is me before entering at the ball, which was held at the Beau-Rivage Palace, which is one of the most luxurious hotels not only in Switzerland but also in Europe and in the world. 

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Villa D'Este, Tivoli, Italy

This summer my husband had to go to Rome for a work, and since it was on a Friday, we decided to spend a weekend in Rome. I've been there already, so we visited all main places to visit and not main too. After searched up in the Internet I found two places where we have not been - Via Appia Antica and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, small town near Rome. 

Trains to Tivoli, where is situated the Villa, are often enough, the journey takes about an hour. From the station it's not so far on foot (well, by our standards, we like trakking), omething about a kilometer. In general, walking through the old town is always a pleasure ) 

And here is the entrance to the villa: 

Villa d'Este is a wonderful and very harmonious combination of natural wealth - an abundance of water, variety of trees and flowers and the amazing fountains and palace. The owner of Villa d'Este was Cardinal d'Este, so it gave the name to the villa. It was built in the 40s of the XVI century. The palace is located on the highest point of the hill, with a magnificent view, and on the hillside is the garden. 

There are a lot of shady paths on where you can nicely walk in fresh shadow, many fountains and statues ... 


In the northern part there are fountain Water organ with the 15 m waterfall. 


There was a rainbow) 

Fountain of the Dragons: 


I liked of 150 m's Hundred fountains Alley. It is bordered with countless sculptures exuding water. All sculptures are different, I was impressed! 


I also need to rest) by the way, you can drink a water) 

The palace is a unique example of architecture and painting of the Renaissance. We walked there with pleasure, but I did not take pictures.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Two hours in Castelmezzano, Basilicata

Some times ago on a Sunday we were in Basilicata. Looking through Tripadvizor for the restaurant, where we could go for lunch, I noticed that all restaurants in the town Castelmezzano have many reviews. Other restaurants within 30 kilometers have not more then a dozen of reviews. And all the reviewers wrote about the "Volo dell'angelo" - Fly of the Angel. It grown an interest in us, and we decided to look at this town and find out what is this - Volo dell'angel

In Italy, a beautiful small towns we call Borgo, and, as it turned out that Castelmezzano is among the 100 most beautiful Borgo of Italy. This was a surprise, and it's only 2 hours by car from Brindisi! This stunning little town, literally stuck to the cliff. 


Volo dell'angelo turned out to be an attraction famous for Europe! 

Between two mountain peaks in Lucan Dolomites a steel cable tensioned (actually two of them - because you make two way fly). You can feel like an angel who flies in the sky and see breathtaking panorama. Anyone who overcame his fear, can enjoy not only the sensation of free flight but magnificent views a bird's-eye, or better to say - angelic's -eye. There are gorgeouse mountains, water stream and forests. Unfortunately, it was still closed (it was spring), but we will definitely go back and try it) 



In Castelmezzano thera re many narrow streets, rising at an angle and small ladders to shorten the path between the streets. 



There are several restaurants, in one of which, a small trattoria over this bar we had lunch. 15 euros per person, we got a fixed menu, everything was very tasty and soooo much that the next time we'll take only one)) 

Top-down view of the houses and streets 

On the opposite hill is another town - Petrapertosa, on the right

On the way to the town of a top view of Basilicata

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Trip to Foggia region - Italian Granary

This summer we spent weekend in Tenuta Capaccio, nice farm holidays near Foggia, between wheat fields. This region is called "granaio d'Talia" which means Italian Granary, because here are grown most of italian wheat. Foggia has also the ambition to obtain recognition of the European Capital of durum wheat. 
Entrance of the Tenuta:
 
It had big beautiful garden incide, where weddings are take place from time to time.
 




The house own made in rustic farm style and full of details:

The number on the room door:


These are wheat fields around the Tenuta:







 

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