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…
Gyeongbok-gung
Originally built in 1394, destroyed around 1595 during the war with Japan, abandoned until the 1850’s, rebuilt and then again partially destroyed during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 20th century, the Gyeongbok palace has seen a lot of action. Since the 1990s, a major renovation and rebuilding exercise has returned about 40% this…
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…
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…
Artifacts
Ramses II and family had pretty good taste in jewelry. I guess they could afford it. Ramses 2 et son fils Khâemouset avaient assez bon goût pour les parures. Ils pouvaient se les payer, c’est sûr.
Grédone
The ancient site of Grédone, thought to have been a military strongpoint of the ancient Gabale peoples, is now the peaceful village of Grèzes. Located between Mende and Marvejols in Lozère region, it overlooks the Jourdane river valley below and shares the skyline with the Truc de Grèzes. In most of the Languedoc, a hill…
On Baegundae
About 300 m before reaching the top of Baegundae (in Bukhansan national Park, Seoul, South Korea), there is a fortress gate, various signposts and an arrow pointing to the top. I recorded the altitudes for this segment with a GPS device. Over 300 m, the vertical climb is about 230 m. However you calculate slopes,…
Tarraco
The Spanish city of Tarragona, south of Barcelona, offers many interesting sights. Ruins and remnants of the Roman city of Tarraco, cloisters, religious art and a few (urban) tractors. La cité de Tarragone, au sud de Barcelone, offre plusieurs coups d’œil sympas. Des vestiges de la cité romaine de Tarraco, des cloîtres, et quelques tracteurs.
A Cistercian barn
Chabrolieres : at the low end of a valley near the Vivarais Corniche, and just before the river flows into a ravine. With a little effort and some navigation, you can end up staring up at an imposing but ruined Cistercian barn. No signposts, no information panels, no real road to get here and no…
Under the Tanargue
The Tanargue : a summit, and a ridgeline in the southern Ardèche, not that high (c 1500 m), but rugged all the same. The landscape of ridgeways, summits, river ravines and sweeping panoramas along with remote villages and bell-gabled churches is a hiker’s dream. Le Tanargue : un massif dans le sud de l’Ardèche, pas…
A stairway to heaven
Escaladei – lost in the Sierra de Montsant, some 150 km southeast of Barcelona – once a magnificent Charterhouse monastery, is now a silent and melancholy ruin. Founded in the 12 century by monks arriving from France, this was the first Charterhouse monastery in the Iberian Peninsula. The monastery played a fundamental role in developping…
Cau Ferrat
Cau Ferrat, the home and workshop of painter, collector and part time archeologist, Santiago Rusiñol, is now a museum. Located in the Spanish seaside town of Sitges on the coast just south of Barcelona, the house was a showcase for Rusiñol’s paintings as well as his collections. The museum, renovated between 2010 and 2014, is…
Poblet
The Royal Abbey of Poblet in the Spanish province of Catalonia was founded around 1150 by Cistercian monks arriving from France. The abbey was founded to rechristianize and resettle lands recently conquered from the Saracens. The abbey is famous today as the burial place of the Aragonese kings. Fantastic stoneworks, gothic ribbed barrel vaults, a…
Avignon 1551
The Basilica of Saint Pierre in Avignon was built in the 1400’s and certain parts were finished as late as 1551. In particular one of the wood-sculpted scenes on the Basilica door was completed that year and depicts various exotic elements in recognition of the discovery of the Americas about 60 years before. La basilique…
