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: Places
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,…
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 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…
The master of Pedret
The painting on the right side of the apse of the church of Pedret, shown here, is attributed to the Master of Pedret, an unknown artist who painted similar scenes in a number of Romanesque churches in Catalonia in the early 12th century. This image is a detail of a painting representing an allegory of…
The Archangels
In the National Museum of Catalan Art in Barcelona, a long stroll through the medieval religious art section turns up some compelling images. Here is one example – an altar front piece depicting the Archangels. We couldn’t remember how many there were, catechism long forgotten. But we counted three on this altar plate : Michael…
Road to Baegundae
Bukhansan, on the northern edge of Seoul, is a Korean national park. The terrain is mountainous – even if the mountains are not too tall (max about 800 m). The park is full of things to discover and is a favourite nature getaway for Seoulites. The hiking trails are numerous and well marked and the…
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…
