Excited for my First Travel this Year in Europe

Hello March! I am finally back here! I am always a busy body and I hope I have more time to give you some updates. I would love too but sometimes, my time would just not allow. The third month of the year 2014 is greeting me with a smile on its face. I am doing the same  inspite not knowing what March would bring for me.

My escapades will actually start soon. The other day, I received my travel confirmation. This is will be my first travel for this year. It was a quite a very cheap trip considering all what is included in this holiday package.  This was booked last year in November. If you book it earlier, you will have a 200 Euros discount. Imagine that! Transportation, accommodation, trips to different places and foods are included in this package. I am indeed a happy traveler when I avail of  cheap trips.

The Zeus Statue in Plaza or Piazza Sangoria in Florence, Italy. I visited this lovely city last year.

Here is the itinerary of this travel;

First Day: Bus trip from Regensburg Germany to Rimini, Italy.

Second Day:  Trip to San Marino and Santaarcangelo di Romagna.

Third Day: Trip to the Lagoon City of  Venice. My fifth visit here but still I haven't have enough of Venice. I simply love this beautiful  city.

Fourth Day: Free or rest day. Planning to go to Ravenna.

Fifth Day: Visit to the historic cities of Assisi and Perugia.

Sixth Day: Trip to the Rennaisance City of Florence. This will be my second visit in this city.

Seventh Day: Free or Rest Day. Planning to Visit Ancona or Bologna.

Eight Day: Back to Germany. Home sweet home!

I am already starting to research especially the famous sights  and  things to do when  visiting these places.  I am happy to travel again this year! Hoping for more travels to come soon!

To Southeast Europe This Time

Still not done with packing. I am partially done and will have to finish it tonight. I am already charging all my gadgets including my cameras, cellphones and other stuffs I need for my travel to the Balkan part of Europe.

The trip will start tomorrow. This time I am heading to the  Balkans, or the Balkan Peninsula, also referred to as Southeast Europe. We will be visiting 4 countries including Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and  Albania. I would 5 countries because we will have a short stop over in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A map of the Balkans or Southeast Europe powered by Google maps.

We will be visiting a lot of sights in these countries including Maribor, Zagreb, Zadar, Dubrovnik, Budva, Cetinje, Njegusi, Kotor, Krka National Park, Rastoke and many more.

The one you can see in the google map here will be our route to those four countries in the Balkans.

The Balkans 

The term "The Balkans" covers not only those countries which lie within the boundaries of the Balkan Peninsula, but may also include Slovenia and Romania.  Prior to 1991 the whole of Yugoslavia was considered to be part of the Balkans. The term "The Balkans" is sometimes used to describe only the areas in the Balkan peninsula: Moesia, Macedonia, Thrace, Kosovo, Šumadija, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Dalmatia, Thessaly, Epirus, Peloponnese and others, but more often it includes the rest of former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia) and Romania, namely the provinces of: Vojvodina, Slavonia, Banat, Wallachia, Moldavia, Transylvania, and others. Italy as a totality, is generally accepted as part of Western Europe and the Apennines. The term "the Balkans" was coined by August Zeune in 1808. wikipedia.

Had Fun With Friends in El Escorial, Spain

I read this saying somewhere this week. It says something like this, "Travel is the only thing you can buy that will make you rich". I was struck by it and I believed I never made a mistake when I go traveling. This is one thing that makes me really happy and I have  a passion for it.  I feel  glad and contented everytime I visit a new place. It seems that it is adding days to my life.  Of course,  I  only travel  when time and finances are available. For me, this saying is indeed true! First, you will be rich with the many travel experiences you gather. Second, I find it very interesting to know the life and culture of  people in a certain  place or country.  I am very  thankful of  the many chances  and opportunities  given to me  when talking about travelling.

I guess,  it is time to begin my main topic.  I miss my friends from Spain especially in Madrid. I met good and nice people  there during my three weeks visit last year. One day, I and some of my friends decided to visit El Escorial.  Some of them already  work and live in Madrid for many years but haven't been to El Escorial yet. They were so happy when I mentioned that I want to go to this monastery. Two of my friends went with me there.

Since we already decided to go late in the afternoon  that day, the El Escorial sightseeing tour already ended. The gate going inside the  monastery where you can buy  entrance tickets  was already closed. We ended up  going around on its exterior. Even though, I  did not see its interior, I was still happy when that trip ended.

These are some pictures taken during our trip last   March 2012 to El Escorial.

The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial,  known for short as The El Escorial.

The Courtyard of the King and the Basilica.

 Here is a bit information about El Escorial:

• It is a historical residence  of the King of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
• Juan Bautista de Toledo is the architect  in the design of El Escorial.
• On November 2, 1984, UNESCO declared The Royal Site of San Lorenzo of El Escorial a World Heritage Site.
• Originally a property of the Hieronymite monks, it is now a monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine.
•   The Escorial comprises two architectural complexes of great historical and cultural significance: the royal monastery itself and La Granjilla de La Fresneda, a royal hunting lodge and monastic retreat about five kilometres away.

My Adventure in Guadalaja, Spain

I decided to travel alone to Guadalajara, not in Mexico but in Spain.  Now I forgot if I took the train from Atocha train station or Chamartin  in Madrid.   Opps, I got it. I did took the Cercania train from Chamartin train station in Madrid going to Guadalajara. Depending on the time you are leaving from the station, usually it will only take up to 40 minutes going to this city.

It was quite an adventure for me when I visited this city in the region of Castile-La Mancha in Spain. It was my first time to visit there and I don't even know anyone. When the train arrived at the station in Guadalajara, I just followed the exit and tried to find the bus going to the city. I don't really know what bus should I take. Thanks to this friendly Spanish lady who told me what bus  should I take. I am lucky because she speaks English. My travel Angel truly helped me during my adventure to this city.

Without further adieu, I strolled around Guadalajara city  and found the sights that I wanted to see.

Ayuntamiento (city hall) of Guadalajara during my visit last March 2012.

San Nicolás El Real Church in Guadalajara, Spain.

Another Visit to Boleslawiec, Poland

Boleslawiec is a medieval town in Lower Silesian Voivodship, Poland. Pottery making is a long tradition in this town, thus being named as a as Miasto Ceramiki or "Ceramics City".

It was my second visit to this famous pottery town in Poland. My first visit was last May 2011. It was purely a pottery shopping trip. This time, we had the chance to have some sightseeing in its town center.

It was raining so hard when we drove to Poland last October 8, 2011 at 5:00 am. Together with some friends, we were very thankful that we arrived there and came home safely too. It was quite an adventure trip. My friend drove outside of Germany for the first time. I knew that she can do it. I admired her courage driving there.

Together with friends, I am quite happy and contented during our trip. It was a very adventurous trip and was full of surprises. One of these days, I will share some of the exciting experience we had there.

Here are some of the images I took during our visit.

a fountain taken in one of the squares in the town of Boleslawiec, Poland.

a church with Jesus statue in front. This is where we parked during our short sightseeing.

beautiful potteries in Boleslawiec. taken in one of the shops we visited there. I love what I got from this pottery town.

My Europe Travel in Venice, Italy

I had the chance to visit Venice again for the third time. You know why I came back there last weekend? The main reason is to ride the gondola. For me, this is one of the great experience when visiting Venice. The price depends on long you want to ride the gondola. A 30-minutes ride costs 80.00 Euros up to six persons. From 120-150 Euros, you can have a 45 minutes ride. I guess it is not too bad especially if you want to see the narrow canals and want to see more of Venice.

Venice is one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. I say so because I had been there thrice and I always love it. That is also one of the reasons why Venice is always flocked with tourists every day.

Venice seems to be a small city but it is not.It is made of different districts and visiting it in a day or two is not enough. If you happen to visit Venice, be sure to visit its famous square, the St. Mark's Square.

More updates and images in my future posts.

gondolas in Venice, Italy during my third visit last July 3, 2011.

the Campanilla or Bell tower in the background.

Bullring Birmingham, England

Let's go travel and visit some places in Europe again! We are visiting Birmingham today. For sure, most and maybe all women out there would be happy visiting the famous mall in Birmingham, England. Bullring is a commercial in center in Birmingham located near St. Martin's Church. It is considered to be the busiest shopping center in the United Kingdom. You can find inside the mall one of only four Selfridges department stores, the fourth largest Debenhams and the first Forever 21 store in Europe.

It was an interesting experience visiting this part of Europe.

I had the chance to walk on the Parametric Bridge which connects the Selfridges store to the car park. It was raining when we visited Birmingham last Oct. 28, 2008. During my three weeks vacation in England, I had been to Birmingham a lot of times because this is where we always rode trains going to London, Harrogate, Manchester, Stratford Upon Avon and some other places in England. I miss my visit in England. I am still hoping to visit it again.

The Beautiful Beaches in Nice, France

The charm and beauty of this place is still very fresh and always playing in my mind. Nice, a city in France is truly nice and beautiful. I love especially its white sandy beach, its historical settings and simply the place. I never regret my trip to this part of France. It was truly a memorable and stunning vacation!

Just simply look at the images I took below and you will see how beautiful this place is. No wonder it is nicknamed as Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful.

striking a pose in Nice, France. I love this city!

the beautiful white sandy beaches in Nice. It reminds me of home.

The area of today’s Nice is believed to be among the oldest human settlements in Europe. One of the archaeological sites, Terra Amata, displays evidence of a very early usage of fire. Around 350 BCE, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory. wikipedia.

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome, Italy

I always feel happy everytime I remember my past travels. Thanks to the creation of digital cameras where we can always turn back time by viewing over and over again our travel images.

I have here an image of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome, Italy. It is called in Italian as The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II) or Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland).

This was taken during my Europe tour with a friend last August 2010.

It is a monument to honour Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, located in Rome, Italy. It occupies a site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. The monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885; sculpture for it was parceled out to established sculptors all over Italy, such as Angelo Zanelli. It was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1935.

The monument, "chopped with terrible brutality into the immensely complicated fabric of the hill", is built of pure white marble from Botticino, Brescia, and features majestic stairways, tall Corinthian columns, fountains, a huge equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas. The structure is 135 m (443 ft) wide and 70 m (230 ft) high. If the quadrigae and winged victories are included, the height is to 81 m (266 ft). credit

St. Peter's Square in Manchester, England

I had the chance to visit England in 2008. One of the cities I visited was Manchester. I can still remember our experience when visiting this city. I wish I can share it next time. Thanks to my friend, who brought me there and showed me the city.

I have here some images taken during my visit last November 2008.

The area around St Peter's Square was previously known as St Peter's Field , which went down in history as the location of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. The name derives from St Peter's Church which was built where the gardens are today in the late 18th century and also gave its name to Peter Street. It was a building in Classical style (architect James Wyatt: built 1788-94) and once famous for its church music. It was demolished in 1907 and the Cenotaph replaced it in 1924. A stone cross (1908) commemorates the church. The square is the site for the city's Remembrance Day commemoration each year.

To the west of the square is Peter Street, on which is the Midland Hotel and to the east is Oxford Street.

Metrolink trams from Altrincham and Eccles serve two platforms in the west of the square which are located directly in front of Manchester Central Library. The square is located southeast of Manchester Town Hall and it is between Deansgate-Castlefield and Piccadilly Gardens.

To the west of the square is Peter Street, on which is the Midland Hotel and to the east is Oxford Street. more here

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France

The Pyramide du Louvre, as it is called in French language, commonly known as the Louvre pyramid is a large glass and metal pyramid in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace. It is also surrounded by three smaller pyramids. This structure has become one of the famous iconic symbol of the city of Paris.

The Louvre pyramid was said to be featured in the 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code.
These are images I took during my first visit in Paris last 2009. I was there again last summer 2010.

The Louvre pyramid and the Louvre buildings on the background. It serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. It was commissioned by the President of France François Mitterrand in 1984 and was designed by the architect I. M. Pei.

The downward-pointing or the inverted pyramid, called in French as La Pyramide Inversée. It functions as a skylight in an underground mall in front of the museum.

My Euro Travel in Warwick Castle in England

What do you see when you are visiting Europe? I believed you are expecting a lot of old and historical sights, monuments, buildings, architecture and etcetera! Yes, that is true. Some might not like it but I do and will always love it. In fact, I would love to see and experience all of Europe. I keep trying and need to save a lot to do it.

I am sharing some snapshots I made during our visit to the medieval in Warwick. I am so happy seeing this castle last November 2008.

Warwick Castle a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. If I am not mistaken the castle's construction began in 1068.

The interior of Warwick Castle as viewed from Ethelfleda's Mound during our visit last November 2008.

The walls and towers of Warwick Castle. I was playing with my camera before and had this image. I guess this is a sepia color. I love visiting castles in Europe.
This image reminds me that I spent the Halloween in Warwick Castle last November 2008. I had a pose with the white lady in the castle.

My Euro Travel in Amsterdam, Netherlands

I am only sharing some travel snapshots from Amsterdam, Netherlands. I already shared some before, if not here, for sure in my other sites.

one of the narrow streets in Amsterdam city. I am not sure now if I took this image in the red light district of Amsterdam.

The Dam is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city.

that blue colored house is one of the boat houses in Amsterdam. I took this image during our cruise on its canals.

Amsterdam is part of the province of North-Holland and is located in the west of the Netherlands next to the provinces of Utrecht and Flevoland. The river Amstel terminates in the city centre and connects to a large number of canals that eventually terminate in the IJ. Amsterdam is situated 2 metres above sea level.

The Albertina in Brussels, Belgium

During our visit to Vienna, Austria last June 2007, I also saw a building named Albertina. As we visited Brussels in Belgium last August 2010, we also passed-by to a building that has a nicknamed Albertina. Who is Albertina anyway?

The Royal Library of Belgium whose nickname is Albertina, is considered to be one of the most important cultural institutions in Belgium. It is a library that dates back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy. It is located in the downtown of Brussels near the Central Station.

The library owns several collections of historical importance, like the famous Fétis archives, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.

The library also houses the Center for American Studies, a new institute of higher learning established by the University of Antwerp, the Free University of Brussels, the University of Ghent, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, which is internationally accredited for delivering Master of Arts degrees in American Studies.

taken with a sony camera model DSC-W110 during our trip to Brussels last August 2010.

The library owns several collections of historical importance, like the famous Fétis archives, and is the depository for all books ever published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.

The library also houses the Center for American Studies, a new institute of higher learning established by the University of Antwerp, the Free University of Brussels, the University of Ghent, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, which is internationally accredited for delivering Master of Arts degrees in American Studies. credit

Christmas Market in Birmingham, England

It is still Christmas market fever in Europe. From the different towns and cities in Germany to countries like Switzerland, France, England, Austria, Czech Republic and other European cities that held it, all are worthy to visit.

If I am not mistaken the Christmas markets in Germany will last until the 23rd of December. So hurry up and take time to visit before it is over.

I am also sharing some images from the Christmas market in Birmingham, England. I am happy that I was there with a friend last November 2008. Most traders in Birmingham's Christmas market are from Frankfurt, Germany. It is considered to be one of the largest Christmas market in the United Kingdom. It attracts more than two millions of visitors every year.

the carousel ride at the Christmas Market.

One of the lighted stalls in Birmingham's Christmas Market.
taken during my vacation in England last 2008.

Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy

This is one of the favorite squares I love in Rome, Italy. Piazza del Popolo commonly known in English as People's Square is one of the largest square in Rome. Historically, it derives from the poplars (populus in Latin, pioppo in Italian) after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.

I did remember we had a dinner in one of the cafe restaurants in this square. I ordered a coke that time. After around 15 minutes, the coke still did not arrived. I was done eating and felt very thirsty already. I was quite disappointed with the customer service of that restaurant besides being unfriendly.

I hope to find an image of that restaurant and want to share it here.

the monument from afar are the steps lead from the Piazza del Popolo to the Pincio to the east.

An Egyptian obelisk of Ramesses II from Heliopolis stands in the centre of the Piazza.

The Piazza lies inside the northern gate in the Aurelian Walls, once the Porta Flaminia of ancient Rome, and now called Porta del Popolo. This was the starting point of the Via Flaminia, the road to Ariminum (modern Rimini) and the most important route to the north. At the same time, before the age of railroads, it was the traveller's first view of Rome upon arrival. For centuries, the Piazza del Popolo was a place for public executions, the last of which took place in 1826. wikipedia

View of Westminster Palace from London Eye

I made a random selection from my picture files and the first one that I will be clicking will be featured in this post. Here is Westminster Palace in London, England. It is also called Houses of Parliament or Palace of Westminster. I took this image when I rode London Eye for the first time last November 2008. It was a wonderful experience to be there. The River Thames you also see in the image is the one that flows along London.

sorry folks the image is not so good. My old Samsung camera is not really a good one.

The Palace of Westminster features three main towers. Of these, the largest and tallest is the 98.5-metre (323 ft) Victoria Tower, which occupies the south-western corner of the Palace. Called "King's Tower" at the time, in honour of the then-reigning monarch, William IV, the tower was an integral part of Barry's original design, of which he intended it to be the most memorable element. The architect conceived the great square tower as the keep of a legislative "castle" (echoing his selection of the portcullis as his identifying mark in the planning competition), and used it as the royal entrance to the Palace and as a fireproof repository for the archives of Parliament. The Victoria Tower was re-designed several times, and its height increased progressively; upon its completion in 1858, it was the tallest secular building in the world.
more here

The Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy

Let's go travel Europe again. I am not really very sure if I already shared about one of the sights in Rome, Italy called The Spanish Steps. With the name alone,n you will probably imagine that you will see a lot of stairs here. Yes, it is!

It is called in Italian as Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti. These are set of steps located between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. It is known to be the widest and longest steps in Europe. The church of Trinità dei Monti is located at the end of these steps. The stairway is said to have 138 steps.

I am happy that I had seen and experience this sight of Rome. Here is an image taken during our visit last August 2010.

The stairway of 138 steps was built with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s. A lot of tourist can be seen sitting here especially during summer time.

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

I had seen some replicas of the Pantheon building like in Paris, France, in Bavaria, Germany and if I am not mistaken also in Vienna, Austria. This time I had finally seen the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. Pantheon in Greek word means temple. The Pantheon in Rome was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.

During our visit to Rome last August 2010, Pantheon was under repair. You can see the image I took during our visit that time.

The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft). A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria Rotonda."

HISTORY:

In the aftermath of the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Marcus Agrippa built and dedicated the original Pantheon during his third consulship (27 BC). Located in the Campus Martius, at the time of its construction, the area of the Pantheon was on the outskirts of Rome, and the area had a rural appearance. Under the Roman Republic the Campus Martius had served as a gathering place for elections and the army. However, under Augustus and the new Principate both were deemed to be unnecessary. The construction of the Pantheon was part of a program of construction that was undertaken by Augustus Caesar and his supporters. They built more than twenty structures on the Campus Martius, including the Baths of Agrippa and the Saepta Julia. It had long been thought that current building was built by Agrippa, with later alterations undertaken, and this was in part due to the inscription on the front of the temple. However, archaeological excavations have shown that the Pantheon of Agrippa had been completely destroyed, and Emperor Hadrian was probably responsible for rebuilding the Pantheon on the site of Agrippa's original temple. more infos here

The Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy

The Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy looks like the Arch of Triumph (Arc de Triomphe) in Paris, France, the Siegestor in Munich, Germany and there are still a lot of structure around the world that looks like this. It was built to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.

The arch is 21 m high, 25.9 m wide and 7.4 m deep. It has three archways, the central one being 11.5 m high and 6.5 m wide, the lateral archways 7.4 m by 3.4 m each. The top (called attic) is brickwork reveted with marble. A staircase formed in the thickness of the arch is entered from a door at some height from the ground, in the end towards the Palatine Hill.

taken during our trip in Rome, Italy last August 2010