Trapani on a late September day.
The amazing staircase of the Vatican museums.
Sunset at the coast of Western Sicily.
The Cathedral of Modica in Central Sicily.
No comment needed 🙂
In September 2012, I went to Sicily and Southern Italy with friends. On the way there, I also had a chance to visit Milano. I already posted some of these impressions on this blog, but cramping them all into one entry would be nice. Also, as I mentioned, there are some new pictures as well 🙂
A view over the Bay of Naples.
The world-famous cathedral of Milano. A beautiful piece of Gothic architecture in black and white.
Catania is a fantastic city. Built on the foot of a massive volcano (Etna), it was destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times. A fitting alternative name for the city would be Phoenix, as it has risen from the ashes like a legendary bird. In Catania, the streets and many buildings are made out of lava stone (basalt), and it may happen very well that you end up in the cellar of a bar in which there are still traces of old lava flows under your table (Agora Hostel Bar). If you are on the main square (Piazza del Duomo), visit the Cathedral and enjoy this magnificent view from the rooftop.
Actually, this shot is not from 2012. But it fits pretty well, so here it is 🙂 Personally, I adore Vespas. And a beautiful turquoise Vespa in Rome must be a win, no?
The train station was built by the Fascists under Mussolini. It is colossal and displays various sceneries of Italian life and culture. Today, large commercial ads dominate. It is still a fascinating piece of 20th-century architecture and a prominent showcase for totalitarian gigantism.
It was the beginning of a warm day in late summer, sailing on board a ferry into the natural Bay of Naples. As we came on deck, we witnessed this beautiful sunrise over the Vesuvio volcano. The view was stunning, and we watched with a humbled AAW. Although we didn’t sleep much on the ferry that night and had a long program ahead of us in Naples, this sunrise was enough to carry us through the day.
It should have been spring, but it was a freezing cold winter weekend. Some impressions of the southern bohemian cities of Czeske Budejovice (Budweis) and Czesky Krumlov (Krumlau) in those days.
Main Square of Czeske Budejovice (Böhmisch Budweis)
Bookstore “Shakespeare And Sons” in Czesky Krumlov (Krumlau)
Krumlov, as seen from the Schwarzenberg castle
Winter in spring
Cesky Pernik in Krumlov
Colors of Budejovice
Budweis Brewery in Budejovice (must visit!)
Some weeks have passed since I visited Portugal in mid-February, and I started sharing my impressions with you in a series of posts. This one will be the last one for now. But I will be back in April with new pictures of a new city (hopefully :))! Enjoy.
What is truly remarkable about Lisboa and Porto, and what I didn’t mention before, is the excellent choice of hostels here. Portuguese hostels win competitions on Hostelworld and Hostelbookers almost yearly, and they deserve the prices! A Lisboan hostel I can recommend from my own experience the Good Morning Hostel on the Praca dos Restauradores in the city center. The people there were lovely and very helpful. We cooked together and had a great time. If you go to Lisboa, check it out.
I can’t remember the church’s name, but it was undoubtedly in Porto. The city has many magnificent churches, some made of pure gold. They are reminiscent of a colonial era in which Porto became one of the wealthiest cities on the Iberian peninsula thanks to trade and the importance of the local harbor. + I miss the blue sky terribly.
Number 28 is again seen on a rainy day in Alfama. My favorite part of the old town. The surroundings of the Castello are stunning and very charming. It is a lovely part of the town for a walk, but you shouldn’t mind steep hights 😉 In case there is always a tram to bring you up & back.
A panorama picture of Porto. One day was definitively not enough for Porto. Although there are not many traditional “tourist sights” here, the city doesn’t need them. It is the maritime flair, the port wine, and last but not least the architecture and the small streets which are selling Porto and making it so attractive (especially for Britons, we were told, because there is a cheap connection from London introduced recently).
There had to be a cat picture at some point 😉 I get her anger, but I probably wouldn’t enjoy it if someone pointed a camera at me 10 cm in front of my face. So I was a bit of a cat paparazzi here. Guilty as charged. Still cute 🙂
The end of the world. Almost. The back of the European continent at Capo da Roca is 3000 km from home. It is a unique, almost spiritual place. Unfortunately, we had terrible luck with the weather; the wind was awful and cold as ice, so we had to return relatively quickly. Our hope to see the sunset stayed unfulfilled, too. It was beautiful nonetheless.
Summer 2007
One of the most beautiful churches I have seen in my life for sure.
Michael Hoffman Photography 