Travel, life, loves and laughs.
Perched on the banks of the mighty Danube, Golubac Fortress, with its towers full of history, rises like a vision from a medieval legend, its rugged towers and thick stone walls commanding dramatic views over the cliffs and river below.… Read the rest
Topkapi Palace dominates Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, completing what I think of as the city’s essential sightseeing trifecta alongside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Perched above the Bosphorus, the palace does not simply reward visitors with views; it opens a door into more than four centuries of Ottoman rule.… Read the rest
Topkapi Palace dominates Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, completing what I think of as the city’s essential sightseeing trifecta alongside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Perched above the Bosphorus, the palace does not simply reward visitors with views; it opens a door into more than four centuries of Ottoman rule.… Read the rest
Topkapi Palace dominates Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, completing what I think of as the city’s essential sightseeing trifecta alongside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Perched above the Bosphorus, the palace does not simply reward visitors with views; it opens a door into more than four centuries of Ottoman rule.… Read the rest
Chaotic, colorful and endlessly fascinating, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, a sprawling maze of covered streets, has been the beating commercial heart of Istanbul for more than five centuries.
Step inside and you’re immediately immersed in a sensory overload: the shimmer of gold in jewellers’ windows, the rich scent of leather and spices, the rhythmic calls of shopkeepers, and the soft clink of tea glasses being served.… Read the rest
There are many remarkable monuments in Istanbul, yet few possess the gravity, beauty and layered history of Hagia Sophia – known variously as Aya Sofya, Sancta Sophia and the Church of the Divine Wisdom. Commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 537 AD, transformed into a mosque by Mehmed II in 1453, and later secularised into a museum by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935, it stands today as one of the most significant and symbolically rich buildings in the world.… Read the rest
Peles (Peleş) Castle, is Romania’s fairytale masterpiece in the Carpathian Mountains. While the likes of the more famous Bran Castle (Dracula’s) impresses with its dramatic cliffside setting and medieval design, and nearby Pelisor Castles blends intimate Art Nouveau design with rich royal history, Peleş Castle is a rare place where architecture, craftsmanship and royal ambition combine to create something truly extraordinary.… Read the rest
When wandering through the grandeur of Munich’s Nymphenburg Palace, the Marstallmuseum is a hidden gem that may fly under the radar of the typical tourist path.… Read the rest
Tucked away in the lush palace park of Nymphenburg in Munich, the Badenburg Pavilion is one of those hidden gems that you might just stumble upon if you take the time to wander off the main path. At first glance, it looks like just another charming Baroque pavilion but step inside and you’re transported into a world of early 18th century luxury and leisure.… Read the rest
Amalienburg at Schloss Nymphenburg serves as a summer residence and hunting lodge. Elector Karl Albrecht (who reigned from 1726 to 1745) commissioned it for his wife, Maria Amalia. Munich court architect Francois Cuvilliés designed the single-storey building, which features a unique hall of mirrors partly decorated in silver.… Read the rest