Often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains, Aix-en-Provence is a quaint Provencal town, 30 km north of Marseille.
Aix-en-Provence, the city of a thousand fountains
Europe
Marseille, the city of 100 neighbourhoods
Nicknamed the city of 100 neighbourhoods, Marseille is mostly known as the oldest city in France.
Blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, and with an ancient history, Marseille picked up our interest when we decided to take a road trip in Provence, and see the Gorges du Verdon.
Gorges du Verdon
Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Europe, the Gorges Du Verdon is one of the most spectacular sites in the world. It is a river canyon located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of Southeastern France, whose name is often shortened to Provence.
Vlad the Impaler and The golden goblet story
Sighișoara, Vlad the Impaler (Dracula)’s hometown
Sighișoara is not only famous for its old historic center, but also for being Vlad the Impaler’s place of birth. Built in the 12th century by Saxon settlers, the old city still wears the medieval savor, reason the citadel was designated in 1999 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
RO, Tulcea : Danube Delta – Sulina, the place where the river touches the sky
Getting stuck in the middle of Danube Delta, on one of the thousand little channels, seemed no fun once I realized there is no way of moving forward, neither backward, while dozens of mosquitoes were buzzing around, smelling fresh blood in their neighbourhood. Watching the snake rolling away on the floating moss, and the green frog smiling at me, I started to rewind in my mind how that happened. I was wondering if my desire to watch the birds was proportionally equal with the quantity of blood we are going to donate to the hungry mosquitoes from this shady channel, and the nearby swamp. Because you wouldn’t need a second glance to realize there is no passage, and the mosquitoes were not fed for ages. Continue reading
RO, Alba – Freezing in the summer @ Scarisoara Ice Cave
After we visited Bear’s Cave and a local museum the day before in Chiscau, I was the first one to wake up (after a sleepless night) and explore the surroundings. I could talk a lot about my morning walk, watching the people doing their daily chores, listening the happy birds chirping in that glorious morning, and admiring the rich greenery surrounding the village. But the plan of the day was to visit another cave from this area, and by the evening to visit Corvin Castle in Hunedoara.
A glorious sun caressing the plum tree early in the morning
An almost full moon -reason for a sleepless night, maybe?
Sorting the berries
RO, Bihor – Romania, a land of hidden gems: Bear’s Cave
It was a regular work day for Traian Curta, when, back in 1975 he was in charge with dynamiting a new area while working in a local mining exploitation company, when suddenly, a big grotto had opened beneath the ground. He didn’t want to get famous for being the first person to be lowered into that grotto, but he did it, and he was the first person who “visited” the cave up to the main gallery. After 5 years of explorations by amateur and professional speleologists, and building a basic infrastructure, the cave was opened for visitors in 1980.
Bears’ Cave is located in the Apuseni National Park, in the western side of the Apuseni Mountains, Transylvania, on the outskirts of Chiscau village, Bihor County, Romania.
AU, HU – Vienna vs Budapest – Two cities in five days, p2
In case someone is wondering if five days were enough to visit these two cities Vienna and Budapest, the answer is not, 5 days is way too little to visit them, but I think it is enough get a glimpse of a great heritage of Austro-Hungarian Empire. You can read here the first part of this post. Today I will continue, and talk a bit about food, Danube River and churches.
AU, HU – Vienna vs Budapest – Two cities in five days, p1
Once sisters of the one of the greatest powers of the world, Austro-Hungarian Empire, both Austria and Hungary have now been separated for the last 100 years. Years that took each of them on different paths, even though sometimes they were intertwined. Part of European Union and part of UNESCO Heritage, Vienna and Budapest are 2 centerpieces of Europe that justify their fame, no need for an introduction.
Cityscape
Vienna, known as a capital of music welcomed us in a waltz pace, as all the airport hallways resounded with Mozart tunes. A hot August morning was beckoning to us after we picked up our luggage and Vienna Pass, which made us wonder how hot a day can be in the middle of Europe, which we found out later on, after visiting Budapest as well, but this is another story.
A city with so many architectural styles, Vienna’s roots lie in early Celtic and Roman settlements. Now it is known as one of the most developed cities in Europe, being selected one of the most livable cities in the world. From the abundance of baroque style buildings in city centre (which was designed in 2001 UNESCO World Heritage Site) to some of the most interesting, colourful, or bizarre buildings, Vienna hasn’t faltered to offer us unique views.
In order to protect the cityscape, high-rise projects are totally excluded in certain zones. In Vienna there are about 100 buildings higher than 40 m, reason the city maintains the old historical charm, the panoramic viewpoints, and existing lookouts.
1000 Places and Memories 