The church St. Gumbertus is one of the central city churches of Ansbach, together with the neighboring St. Johannis. Located in the old town of Ansbach, St. Gumbertus, now a Lutheran church, was originally the church of a monastery that was founded by St. Gumbert around 750. Today it serves as a venue for concerts and […]
Today we set off to Ansbach which is about 40km from Nuremberg. Ansbach is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia with about 45,000 people living in the city. The city started off in the 8th century as a Benedictine monastery, it later became the seat of the Hohenzollern family in 1331. Later […]
We bought our car last year July 19th. It has now been a year since we owned it. We don’t drive the car in the city, sometimes we don’t drive it for a week, sometimes we drive it once a week just to the store. Most of the travel we do is when we take […]
Truth be told we did not have a lot of time to celebrate Germany’s win of the FIFA World Cup. We finished watching the game, we grabbed out suitcases and went downstairs to catch the cab to the airport. The city has gone absolutely mad. I am glad we were going to the airport and […]
Tonight we set out to see the Old Antalya at night. At night Antalya comes alive. It seems that as the temperature drops down to a more manageable and cool 28C at 10:00 pm everyone comes out to enjoy the city. The shops in the old town are open until 11;30 pm, all cafes and restaurants […]
The sea is quite calm today so we all got out for a swim to the huge floaties that are set up off the pier and the beach for all hotel guests to play. The beach is private so only people from the resort can go there and for those lazy enough to walk the […]
Antalya, after Paris and London, is the third most visited city in the world by international arrivals. When you are out and about or even at our hotel you can hear just about every language being spoken. There are people here from everywhere, each corner of the world seems to be well represented. Antalya which is located […]
Old Antalya called Kaleiçi: the historical center of the city is the equivalent of the old town in a European city. There is a number of very old and famous landmarks that we got to see other than the Mosques. Some of the old monuments include the ancient City Walls, Hıdırlık Tower, Hadrian’s Gate (also […]
No visit to Antalya would be complete without a visit to a traditional bazar which is where a lot of people come to shop for everything from fruits and vegetables and spices to clothing, purses, glasses, dishes and just about everything else you can imagine. There is a lot of yelling and haggling. Just about everything you […]
There are a lot of Mosques in Antalya. The ones in the Old Antalya, Kaleiçi, are old and quite famous. There are mosques and churches which date back to 2 A.D. One of them is the Kesik Minare (Broken Minaret) standing in the streets of Kaleiçi. Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) with a 38 meter minaret, originally decorated […]
We spent the entire day doing nothing. Other than eating way too much and lazying around the pool. Essentially the kids spent 8 hours in the pool almost without breaks. We did not manage to get up for breakfast which ended at 10:30 so we had lunch at 1:30 instead. After dinner we went across […]
The only downside of coming early is the waiting to check it. After sitting around and looking at the world go by for what seemed like forever we have finally checked in. The room is exactly as expected if not better. We have a great 2 bedroom suite with a large living room and a […]
We have boarded and waiting to take off and get there. Flying out in the middle if the night maximizes vacation time.
We are setting off to Antalya for a week long holiday. After a long year in school we are off to seek a bit of sunshine in an all inclusive resort where we plan on doing absolutely nothing at all, other than eating, drinking, sleeping and lazying by the pool.
Germany has gone crazy! We can’t think of a better place to be right now than here in Nuremberg, Germany. Everyone is celebrating, no one is getting any sleep – people are going absolutely crazy!!!! What a party this is going to be!!!
The world pauses as the whistle blows – the game between Germany and Argentina is on. We are all glued to the TV cheering for Germany of course, our home away from home. Boris even decorated our home a bit to get into the spirit of things! GO Germany GO!!
For a small city, Wurzburg like a lot of other small cities in Europe we have visited, has a lot of offer. It is a vibrant city with great history, amazing sites and friendly and hospitable people. We spent two great days here and if we could we would be back again in a heartbeat.
It is summer! No matter where we go there is a bachelor or bachelorette party. Evelina got to participate in one when we were in Wurzburg today. The premise of these parties is as follows. The bride or groom to be is the object of constant ridicule in public as his entourage is getting drunk. He […]
No visit to an old European city would be complete without an obligatory visit to a church or two. We visited a lot of churches on our last excursion here but there are some which we did not get to. Particularly the church at the Merienberg Fortress, the Cathedral Cloisters which were closed last time […]
We are back at the Wurzburg Residence for a stroll around the gardens. When we were here last time a lot of flowers were being planed or just coming out of the ground. Today all flowers are in full bloom as are trees and shrubs and just about everything else that grows. There were a […]
Finally after two days of rain the sun is out and it is instantly humid and hot. We are out for a lazy stroll around the city, a bit of shopping, a bit of sitting around and doing nothing and a bit of beer to cool off. We are going to miss this city, in […]
It is still raining a bit which is not a big deal because there are still a number of museums which we are planning to visit. Today we are setting off to visit the Museum of Industrial Culture. The museum is not very huge and it has a bit of everything in it, none of which is in […]
I think today is the coldest day of the summer. It is about 14C and it has been raining steadily for the last 9 hours. Our family from Warsaw is here visiting us again. Because of the rain and the cold we are keeping our entertainment to the indoors. On the agenda, once again, is […]
Today is our last day at Ai Casoni and in Italy on this trip. We started off with a lovely breakfast at the agriturismo and on the way out we got a case of Prosecco to enjoy at home then off we went to a shopping outlet just outside Treviso. After a bit of shopping a nice […]
Our arrival in Venice took a bit of time this morning but our departure was a lot more organized. We had a great time here and we are so glad that we came here for a second look. After the Basilica and the Bell Tower we slowly started heading back to the car, visiting 100 […]
We are going to Ai Casoni which is the same Agriturismo we stayed at when Anna’s parents were here. It is a lovely little place with amazing food, hosts and atmosphere. Last time we were here we came from Ljubljana- today we drove right from Nuremberg. As we planned our way down, part of the […]
Perhaps equally as impressive as the Centre Pompidou-Metz building is the collection of art inside. We went to see two of the available galleries which were open. End of the decade 1984-1999 and Simple Shapes. The museum works in a close collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Luxembourgian Museum of Modern Art, […]
We stumbled upon this little place in the morning as we were exploring the area around our hotel. It looked good, the menu looked enticing and it was just secluded enough and suficciently away from the main street to be worth a consideration for dinner. This is not an easy thing to do because Metz is not a […]
The Arsenal Concert Hall is a cultural venue dedicated specially to Classical and Erudite musics and located near the Esplanade garden in Metz. The Arsenal is home to the French National Orchestra of Lorraine and almost 200 events are spread over the season period between September and June. The Arsenal has gained wide recognition as […]
It is believed the Temple Chapel in Metz, rare in Lorraine for it octagonal design, was built about 1180 with additional reconstruction work in 1220, and the surrounding Templar structures destroyed following the dissolution of the order following the Friday 13th arrest of Templars by the agents of King Phillip IV in 1307. The small […]
A short walk from the Cathedral at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers is the New Protestant Temple. After German annexation, Metz became a showcase city of Wilhelmine empire. The architectural eclecticism is reflected by the appearance of many buildings in the Romanesque Revival style, Central Post Office, the New Temple or a […]
There are a lot of churches here, some old, some newer, some very large and some small. All great in their own right, all steeped in history. Metz Cathedral is no different. Saint-Étienne de Metz (French for “Saint-Stephen of Metz”), also known as Metz Cathedral, is a historic Roman Catholic cathedral in Metz, capital of Lorraine, […]
We have arrived – in fabulous Metz. Metz has a rich 3,000-year-history, having variously been a Celtic oppidum, an important Gallo-Roman city, the Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom, the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, a cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics of the common era in Europe. The city has […]
We are setting off to Metz, France for the weekend. Metz is a very old and beautiful city with a lot of history. This time we are staying right in the centre of the old town – should be a lot of fun.
Today is a big game – Germany vs. Ghana. We have set up a soirée with Kasia and Volker to watch the game in German at their house. We started off with a nice dinner and some wine then more vine and some desserts. Everyone has World Cup fever and we are not different. It was […]
We are back in town from our trip across Italy. Today we are getting out to see Kasia and Volker. Kasia is so involved in the metro project in Warsaw that we almost never get to see her. We have a bit more luck with Volker who works only a short walk away from us. […]
It is hard to capture the beauty of this road from a moving car. The views are simply breathtaking and spectacular, and I think for this reason alone we prefer to drive to these destinations. Tuscany is gorgeous, with its golden hills and winding roads, cypresses and vineyards and villas and towns perched on the top of […]
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name “Manarola” is probably dialectical evolution of the Latin, “magna rota”. In the Manarolese dialect […]
This morning we are setting off on a ferry from Levanto to Riomaggiore. which is the fifth village in Cinque Terre National Park from where we are staying. The sun is out, there is a gentle breeze and the 70 min cruise from Levanto to Riomaggiore should be great. The ferry stops in 4 of the […]
The church of Saint Peter rises in the upper part of Corniglia. It was built in 1334 on a pre-existing XI century building. It has a Baroque style, with some Gothic and Ligurian elements. The XIV century façade is adorned by a 1351 Carrara white marble rose window which has the old dear symbol of […]
Unlike the other localities of the Cinque Terre, Corniglia is not directly adjacent to the sea. Instead, it is on the top of a peninsula about 100 metres high, surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces and the fourth side descends steeply to the sea. To reach Corniglia, it is necessary to climb the Lardarina, a long brick flight of […]
After a nice stroll through the village we decided to go under the mountain to the other side of town and hang out on the beach. This is a rocky beach and since we did not bring the sand toys with us, we did what comes naturally to all Canadians – building our versions of Inukshuks. It […]
The Cinque Terre – “The Five Lands” comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are setting off on a train which goes between these 5 villages […]
Since we have discovered the list of World’s 10 Most Beautiful Cafes we though we would give it a try. Our first experience was with Cafe New York in Budapest – and it was nothing short of spectacular. Our second attempt was Cafe Imperial in Prague which truth be bold was more Cafe and less […]
It seems that no matter where you go in Rome, there are old Roman ruins or something that predates the Rome itself. No visit to Rome would be complete without spotting Hare Krishna people making a spectacle of themselves and being happy in their own way. The final stop on our list of things to see was what […]
Right next to the Colosseum are the impressive ruins of the Roman Forum. The Forum Romanum was the center of life in Imperial Rome, evidenced by the many remains of triumphal arches, temples and basilicas. Until 509 BC, when Rome became a republic, the city was reigned by an Etruscan dynasty of Tarquin Kings. They […]
The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman Empire. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era. While the Colosseum is largely in ruins it is still an amazing site to see. The elliptical building is immense, measuring 188m by 156m and reaching a height of […]
Anyone visiting Rome will sooner or later end up at Piazza Venezia. This square is located in the heart of Rome, at the end of the Via del Corso. From here it’s only a short walk to some of Rome’s most famous sights like the Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon. Many historic […]
After the morning visit to the market we are heading in the general direction of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Spanish Steps. First thing we see on the way there is Altar of the Nation. Officially known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, the enormous white marble monument, 80 m hight by […]
First thing on our agenda today, after breakfast of course, is the weekend market. This small market is where locals come to get their fruits and vegetables, pastas, oils, spices and just about anything else you might need or want to eat – all fresh. We got some giant sweet peas and cherries the size of plums. […]
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