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The doors of perception
Turns out Père Lachaise, in the northeast parts of Paris, is a massive cemetery that is, well, home to over 800,000 souls, mostly unknown except to their near and dear ones, but a few whom we would have read, listened to, or watched, including the frontman of The Doors, Jim Morrison.
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The empty railway station at Mostar
Mostar Railway Station, with its desolate look, is not the most welcoming. Few trains pass through. Let that not get you too hot under the collar though.
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Keeping a city’s hope alive, one barrel at a time
It is not often you walk into a brewery, order a pint, and then casually saunter off, blissfully unaware of its history. Like Sarajevksa Pivara Brewery.
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The Rialto Bridge
It is the oldest bridge that spans the Grand Canal of Venice. And no trip to this city is complete without walking on the majestic ‘Ponte di Rialto’ or Rialto Bridge. A view of Venice. It has been immortalized by artists like Canaletto. And for all you Shakespeare buffs, it even finds a mention in The Merchant of Venice, when Shylock asks, “What news on the Rialto?” It is the oldest bridge that spans the Grand Canal of Venice. While the bridge we see now had been around since 1591, the original pontoon bridge came up as early as 1173. Since then, it suffered damage in a fire and collapsed…
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The Bridge of Sighs
Popular myth suggests it was the last view of Venice that convicts would see before they were led to their dungeons. The Bridge of Sighs is the only covered limestone bridge in Venice. However much one may wish for it to be true, in some weird sort of way, it isn’t. It is actually from the pen of Lord Bryon, who, perhaps high on Laudanum, let his imagination run wild while writing ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’ and decided to interpret the Italian ‘Ponte dei sospiri’ to suit his purpose. And thus the quote, “I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace, and prison on each hand.” Thankfully, the…
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The People’s House
Years ago, in 1971 to be precise, when Nicolae Ceausescu embarked on a tour of East Asia, one of the countries on his itinerary was North Korea. Of course, where else could he go? It is the heaviest building in the world, sinking by a few millimeters each year. And so impressed was he with the scale of the government buildings and mass adulation that the North Koreans showered on their revered leader, that megalomaniac that he was, decided to head back to Bucharest and implement these policies for the betterment of the Romanians. He started with Project Bucharest – which intended to develop Bucharest on the lines of Pyongyang…
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Enter the dragon
He is Ljubljana’s most famous mythical resident and is celebrated everywhere. The dragon – Ljubljana’s most famous resident. However, to understand his relevance to the city, we must go back to a legend we have all grown up with, involving a certain Jason and the Argonauts, and their quest to steal the Golden Fleece from the Aeetes, King of the Black Sea. He not only managed to steal the fleece by slaying a dragon protecting it, but also the heart of the king’s daughter, Medea, who very wisely decided to flee with him rather than face the wrath of her dad. They say when a maiden walks on the bridge,…
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Cell # 205
Many years ago, my travel friend and I, on a quick tour of Europe with Contiki, landed in Lucerne late in the evening. And as the whole aim of traveling with Contiki was for a unique experience, our accommodation for that night sure lived up to the whole ‘unique experience’ feel. Inside Cell # 205 Barabas Jail Hotel was an actual prison in the heart of Lucerne. It was purpose-built in 1862 and was a functioning prison until it was decommissioned in 1998. It had 60 cells, including five for women. Before that, convicts were usually rounded up and locked away in monasteries or towers. When the authorities closed the…
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Tantallon Castle
If your idea of an ideal castle is one with sheer cliffs and unparalleled views of the sea, then you are in luck. The castle offers sheer cliffs and unparalleled views of the sea. Tantallon Castle is about an hour’s drive from Edinburgh. Strategically located high on a cliff outside the town of North Berwick, it overlooks Scotland’s east coastline. Like many across Scotland, this castle would be attacked many times. It was originally built somewhere in the 1930s by William, 1st Earl of Douglas, and would, for much of its use, remain in the hands of his descendants. Despite being in a state of ruin, the castle has remained…
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Robert the Bruce
Nope. Your eyes aren’t playing tricks with you, nor is your imagination running wild. It is what it is. Robert the Bruce, King of independent Scotland from 1306 until he died in 1329. If you still insist otherwise, then blame it on the Caledonian pints you thirstily gulped down and the Haggis dish you greedily devoured. There, now, since that is out of the way, this is an introduction to one of Scotland’s favorite sons. A view of the town down below from Stirling Castle. When you settle down on the green grass at Stirling Castle and contemplate world domination, again, don’t miss out on the statue of Robert I…
