The famous Hitchcock thriller Vertigo was said to be somehow inspired by Hitchcock’s stay in a famous hotel in Genoa. Nice legend but who knows how true it might be. The staircase fits the plot however. Le célèbre thriller d’Hitchcock, Vertigo, aurait été inspiré par son séjour dans un hôtel renommé de Gênes. C’est une…
Category: Europe
Palazzos of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa lasted for 8 centuries until 1797. Without a large territory, but with an efficient navy, enterprising bankers and prosperous trading posts, the republic had considerable influence in the Mediterranean world. The period of the biennial doges from 1528 saw the domination of the so-called ‘patrician’ families. Between the Grimaldis, the Spinosas,…
Bagatelle in January
Here, in 1907, a certain Charles Voisin made his first flight in an aeroplane equipped with an Antoinette V8 engine. Things are much quieter now but spring is coming soon. Selon Wikipedia, le 15 mars 1907 à Bagatelle, un certain Charles Voisin, “accomplit le premier vol mécanique sur un aéroplane muni d’un moteur à explosion…
Snowy surprise
Sometimes snow shows up when you are least expecting it. Parfois il y a de la neige aux endroits les plus improbables.
Coastline
A long trail runs along the Basque country coastline from St-Jean-de-Luz to La Hendaye. Great scenery and an easy trail, but best avoided on a hot day. Un sentier longe la côte du Pays Basque de St-Jean-de-Luz à La Hendaye. Des paysages magnifiques et un sentier facile, mais à éviter par temps chaud.
Albarracin
After the disintegration of the Cordoba califat around the year 1000, various small principalities appeared in Spain. This was the period of the Taifas. In the remote village of Albarracin in modern day Aragon a powerful Taifa ruled for around 100 years. During this time, the village of Albarracin was built up in a remote…
The “Fer à Cheval”
At the top end of the Giffre valley in Haute Savoie, there is a natural amphitheatre shaped like a horseshoe if seen from above. You need a drone for that particular viewing angle though. Seen from the meadow at the base of the horseshoe, it’s an impressive semicircle of tall cliffs (around 700 m of…
The secret garden
We are addicted to visiting beautiful gardens – it’s been like this for years. Everywhere we go, we look for a new one to visit. In Haute Savoie, we stumbled across the documentation for the “Jardin Secret” in Vaulx, were sceptical, but decided to visit anyway. The garden truly surprised us. It is not only…
Mystra
In the early 15th century, when Constantinople was under threat from the advancing Ottoman Turks, many Greek intellectuals, monks and artists fled the Byzantine capital and went to Mystra (or Mystras) in the southern Peloponnese near Sparta. Eventually these same Byzantine Greeks fled to Italy to escape the Ottamans. With them, came many ancient documents,…
The roman city
The modern city of Nîmes is the successor to a significant city of Roman times, complete with coliseum, roman temples etc. The ups and downs of history provided the city with many other monuments and in periods of prosperity, the city merchants were able to build a number of fine stately residences in the city,…
A powerful fortress
Due to its location on strategic military and commercial routes at the head of the Gulf of Corinthia on the narrow stretch of land connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese, Corinthia became rich and powerful in antiquity. The city was protected by the Acrocorinth, a towering citadel on a rock pinnacle standing about 300 to…
Vall de Boi
A cause de la présence de plusieurs églises romanes remarquables, la vallée de Boi en Espagne (Vall de Boi en catalan) est classée comme un site de Patrimoine Mondial de l’Unesco. Dans ces églises, construites entre 1000 et 1200, se trouvent (ou plutôt se trouvaient) des peintures murales et des meubles peints parmi les plus…
Palacio da Bolsa
In tourist guide books for Porto, no matter which one you use, of the top 10 sites recommended, 8 or 9 are churches. We don’t mind visiting churches, even the baroque heavily over-decorated ones in Porto, but if you want a break from the church run, try the Palacio da Bolsa. Built in the 19th…
Village on the edge
Siurana was the last Muslim fiefdom in Catalonia. It fell to Christian conquerors around 1150. It sits at about 730 m altitude on a rocky ledge overlooking a deep valley and the Sierra de Montsant to the west. A legend says that when the Christian invaders were closing in, the last Muslim princess rode her…
Solar de Mateus
The Solar de Mateus, near Vila Real in northern Portugal : Famous for the baroque palace and the manicured gardens. Famous for what else ? Rosé wine, of course. Le Solar de Mateus, près de Vila Real au nord du Portugal. Célèbre pour le palais baroque, et les jardins soignés. Mais aussi pour autre chose…
Quinta do Boa Vista
Funchal : Seems like there are a lot of these Boa Vistas around the planet. There is one in Rio de Janeiro for example. But this one is an orchid collection in Funchal, Madeira. A little difficult to find and somewhat run down, the location was the victim of bad winds and rain storms a…
Wet days on the island
Sunny Madeira does not always live up to it’s reputation. When it gets wet, it is very wet. L’île ensoleillée de Madère : sa réputation est faite. Mais ce n’est pas toujours le soleil qui domine.
Ribeira do Pico
Serra de Agua, Madeira : In the Ribeira do Pico valley, farming on hillside terraces is the only way to go. Beacuse : little or no naturally flat land. Serra de Agua, Madère : Si on veut cultiver ses légumes ici dans la vallée de la Ribeira do Pico, il n’y a pas d’autre choix…
