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The Metropolitan Museum of Art - a place for dreamers A great art collection like one would easily find in The Metropolitan Museum of Art feeds the heart and soul. The Museum is one of the world's largest and finest, with a collection of more than 2 million art works spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1895, it has more than 1.5 million sq.ft of exhibition space. A tour of this awesome place is not possible in a single visit. - it's a city within a city, really, and its easier to get lost here than in Central Park. It is a place for dreamers, thinkers, and time travelers. It is a world where you can connect to people and cultures that are long vanished. This video covers the medieval gallery collections and the famous European Collection on the 2nd floor. From the Great Hall, we ascended the grand staircase to the Museum's outstanding collection of European paintings, covering the Renaissance to the 19th century. I took photos very selectively of great masterpieces by Renoir, Manet, Degas, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, and many others. On the way to the museum (which is located in the upper Eastside of Manhattan, along the Museum Mile), I also took video shots of familiar sights and landmarks along famous Fifth Avenue-- St. Thomas Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Barnes and Noble, Empire State, the Philippine Center, etc. Tags: Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Manhattan Fifth Avenue Landmarks cityscape

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The Heart of England - Manchester, York and Oxford Traveling from Manchester to Oxford is a journey into the heart of England filled with cherished icons of past eras. Manchester was the world's first industrial center, and the grim legacy of those days is still very much part of the city's look (visible in such major streets like Princess Street which is lined up with 18th cent. buildings covered by black smoke). While attending a week-long librarians' convention at the University of Manchester Institute of Technology, I had plenty of spare time to roam around the city center. Central Manchester, famous for its vibrant character, is easy to get around on foot or by the excellent Metrolink tramway. At the heart of it is Piccadilly Gardens, a gardenless square that has been developed into an aesthetically charming urban space. John Rylands Library at Deansgate is perhaps Manchester's most beautiful building, a Victorian Gothic structure, with a breathtaking Reading Room, designed to look like a monastic library, and a stunning collection of early printed books and rare manuscripts (including a Gutenberg Bible and manuscripts dating back to 2000 BC). But a visit to the city will not be complete for a librarian-archivist without Chetham's, the oldest public library in UK (1421). Here Marx and Engels were regular users. The city's main administrative center is the superb Victorian Gothic town hall that dominates Albert Square, with an interior so rich in sculpture and ornate decoration. Here in its hallowed halls, the Mayor of Manchester hosted a banquet reception for the visiting librarians-archivists who attended the convention. On the way to Oxford, we spent a brief stopover in Yorkshire. The history of York is the history of England and its proud past has been beautifully preserved. For nearly 2000 years, York has been the capital of the north, and it played a central role in British history under the Romans, Saxons and Vikings. An awesome city, with a spectacular Gothic cathedral (York Minster is England's largest medieval cathedral and Yorkshire's most important historic building), medieval city walls and ruins, historic buildings, and streets well-preserved from their Medieval beginnings. Oxford (the "city of dreaming spires") is a living museum, with beautiful buildings oozing charm and a distinguished past. A city of remarkable beauty and stunning contrast, home to the academic elite, not only of Great Britain, but of the entire world. Here we stayed as guests for 3 full days at St. Hilda's College, and I was lucky to have the best room accommodation, overlooking its lovely gardens and the charming river Cherwell. On my first day, I made my way past the botanical gardens (the oldest in Britain, founded in 1621 for the study of medicinal plants), an oasis of calm, sweeping along the banks of Cherwell. Opposite the gardens is Oxford University's Magdalen College, one of the wealthiest and most beautiful of Oxford's colleges (and includes Oscar Wilde as one of its more famous students). A leisurely walk along busy High Street, through St. Aldates, to visit my favorite haunt, the churches and libraries, was like a dream come true. Oxford's first colleges were built in the 13th century, with residences for lecturers and their students. Lecturers were not allowed to marry until 1877, and women were not admitted to the university until a year later. Even then, it took another 42 years before women would be granted a degree for their four years of hard study. The largest and grandest of all of Oxford's colleges, Christ Church, is also its most famous cathedral. Tourists flock here to see not only the magnificent buildings, but to be a witness to its illustrious history and latter-day fame as a location for the Harry Potter films. It boasts of such luminaries among its alumni as Albert Einstein, philosopher John Locke, poet WH Auden, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), and 13 British prime ministers. Right in the city center are located Oxford's Bodleian Library (one of the oldest public libraries in the world, and as a copyright library, holds 8 million items on 118 miles of shelving and has seating capacity for 2500 readers) and Radcliffe Camera, just south of the Bodleian library, the quintessential Oxford landmark, and one of the city's most photographed buildings. A 13th-century chapel and the oldest medieval library in use are found in Merton College (founded in 1264). It is said that Professor JRR Tolkien spent many hours here while writing The Lord of the Rings. Other literary giants associated with the college include TS. Eliot. Shopping in Oxford means a visit to Blackwell's which stocks any book you could ever need. For knick-knacks and souvenirs, I found many interesting items at Whittards along High Street, on the way back to St. Hilda's. Tags: Northern England Manchester York Oxford cityscape

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A London Summer London is a surprisingly compact city, making it a walker's delight. Two weeks in London means a two-week-long history lesson. The exciting history of London is waiting to be explored around every corner. It also can be a relaxing, easygoing sight exploration of the best that the town can offer to a first time traveler - landmark sights like Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, Nelson's Column, Admiralty Arch, St Paul's Cathedral, and the historically rich Westminster Abbey. The city also boasts some of the world's greatest museums and art galleries, and more parkland than most other capitals. Not to mention castles and palaces - Buckingham, Windsor, Kensington, and Leeds, one of the most beautiful castles in the world, in Maidstone, Kent, in the outskirts of London. The main geographical feature of the city is the River Thames, which meanders through central London, dividing it into northern and southern halves. The central area and the greatest number of important sights, theaters and restaurants are within the Underground's Circle Line on the north bank of the river. The tourist-ridden West End includes Soho, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Regent St. During my 2-week stay at King's College in Champion Hill, I often rode the bus because it gives me a more coherent picture of the city than traveling by Tube. Also, buses are a pleasant and interesting way to get around, especially during the non-rush hours. The classic red double-deckers have been retained only on two "heritage' routes." Route No 9 goes westbound from the Royal Albert Hall to the Strand and loops back to Piccadilly Circus. Route No 15 runs from Trafalgar Square past St Paul's Cathedral to Tower Hill. Though London prices are high, value-conscious visitors like me will find plenty to do and see. Almost all the major museums are free -- British Library, Museum of London, National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Modern, and the Victoria and Albert Museum -- and there are enough colorful markets and iconic sites—Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey—to fill up anyone's itinerary. As for food, the best and most filling is an English breakfast. Then for lunch, fish and chips, and Chinese takeouts. My memories of London will never fade, but it is one city I would love to go back to, if only to re-live these memories, and kindle more. Tags: London Windsor Castle Leeds England

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Discovering Northern Manhattan Home to some of New York City's "hidden treasures," the northernmost tip of Manhattan (Washington Heights and Inwood) is a composite of historic sites, beautiful parks, and leading cultural institutions. Our first discovery was the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan built in 1765 by British Colonel Roger Morris as a summer villa on a property stretching over 130 acres from the Hudson to the Harlem River, and was used by Gen. George Washington as his temporary headquarters before the house became the British headquarters during the revolution. In 1810 a wealthy shipowner, Stephen Jumel, and his wife, Eliza Bowen, purchased the house. After Jumel died, his widow married former Vice President Aaron Burr (the man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel), who lived in the mansion only briefly because he was divorced by Eliza after two years of marriage. On the way to the Audubon Terrace historic district, located on Broadway between 155th and 156th streets, we discovered the only active cemetery in Manhattan and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places---the Trinity Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1843 and is the burial ground of John James Audubon, Alfred Tennyson Dickens (Charles Dickens's son, Philip Livingston (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), and many prominent New York families, such as the Astors, Bleechers, and Van Burens. Set inside the cemetery is the Church of the Intercession, complete with a cloister, vicarage, vestry, parish building, and crypt. Built in the Gothic revivalist style, the church's interior is massive and beautiful. The Audubon Terrace historic district is home to the Hispanic Society of America, a museum and reference library. Its collections feature many aspects of Spanish culture as well as those of Portugal, Latin America and the Philippines. Among the famous paintings in its collections of the Spanish Golden Age (1550-1700) are works of El Greco, Francisco Goya, Diego Velasquez, and Jose de Ribera. Also situated within the large courtyard of the Audubon Terrace are the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Boricua College (which formerly housed the American Geographical Society) , and two vacant museum buildings. Part of the historic district is the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Esperanza, originally built in 1912 for New York's socially prominent Catholic families. The Cloisters, which is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is located on a majestic crest in Fort Tryon Park, considered one of the most beautiful parks in the US (view my video on this museum of medieval art at this url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdR6npVRBqM) Tags: Northern Manhattan Morris-Jumel Mansion Audubon Terrace historic district Trinity Cemetery Church of the Intercession

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PAARL in Palawan 2008 PALAWAN, the island paradise southwest of the Philippine Archipelago, is popularly known for its sugar-white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters teeming with colorful marine, and rare collection of exotic animals, birds and butterflies. Home of two World Heritage sites (the Underground River and Tubbataha Reefs), it is the country's prime tourist destination, inconceivably exotic and tropical. Palawan is an archipelago of jagged limestone islands with underground rivers, rocky coves, and virgin rainforest. Honda Bay, which has several islets including Cannon Island, Bat Island and Starfish Island, is one of the most popular but the fun in Palawan is in discovering your own deserted stretch of sand. When Chinese explorer Chao Ju-Kua stumbled upon Palawan in 1225, he dubbed the 270-mile-long (435-kilometer-long) island the "land of beautiful harbors" where "lofty ridges and cliffs rise as steeply as the walls of a house." Among its Natural Wonders are the world- famous El Nido Cliffs , St. Paul Subterranean Park , Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary , Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, and Coron Island Protected Area( all of which are Protected Areas of Palawan ). Its main attraction is the St. Paul Subterranean Park, an 8.2 kilometer underground river, reputed to be the world's longest, that winds through a spectacular cave before emptying into the South China Sea. Cathedral chambers, wide hallways, and interesting geologic formations greet the wide eyed visitor to the grotto hidden beneath St. Paul Mountain. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing night to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards and squirrels find their niche on the beach forest near the cave. Just outside the national park is a wide expanse of beach in Sabang. (View my Amazing Palawan video for more on this trip) Renowned underwater explorer Jacques Costeau has described Palawan as having one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world. Sprawled beneath the seas are nearly 11,000 square kilometers of coral reefs and myriads of fish swim in these underwater gardens. For the first time, the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL) held its National Summer Conference in Palawan to enable many participants to enjoy the island paradise, dubbed as "the last frontier.". Venue of the conference was a retreat house, St. Ezekiel Moreno Spirituality Center, a 15-minute tricycle ride from the airport. During the 3-day conference, participants were treated to a Luau Fellowship Night and an exciting city tour (view my Amazing Palawan City Tour video for more). As one of the conference speakers, I had plenty of time after my lecture to video the place and take a 2.5 hour trip to the underground river. The still shots were done by one of the participants. Tags: Palawan Puerto Princesa City St. Ezekiel Spirituality Center Underground River

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Amazing Palawan - a City Tour A trip to Palawan, no matter how short, is never complete without a city tour. The usual places to visit are Crocodile Farm, Mitra's Sta. Monica Ranch House, Butterfly Garden, Palawan Museum, the Vietnamese Village, the Cathedral, and the Plaza Cuartel. Puerto Princesa City is generally considered just a take-off point for excursions to the 1,768 islands comprising the biggest province in the Philippines. It is often overlooked as an attraction on its own right. To prove that this city, touted to be the safest and cleanest city in the Philippines, is worth a pleasant tour, participants to the National Summer Conference organized by the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL) were treated to a half-day journey around town. First stop was the Iwahig Penal Colony, 23km from the city proper, a one-of-a-kind prison. Built like any normal community, Iwahig's system allows detainees—called "colonists"—to work and live without being bounded by walls. The colony encompasses a 37-hectare scenic farm planted with coconut palm trees, rice, and other crops cultivated by the prisoners and their families. The prison has about 4,000 population and many inmates live with their families in so-called rehabilitation areas. Aside from farming, prisoners are allowed to earn an income by working in the many shops which turn out various handicrafts, most popular of which are the handcarved items made of mahogany wood. The farm is definitely a good shopping stop for tourists. Second stop was Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (formerly Crocodile Farming Institute), more popularly known as the Crocodile Farm. This 10-hectare area just outside the center of the city was established to help protect endangered species of crocodiles found in the Philippines. It has a hatchling building for baby crocs, sold for 3,500 Philippine Pesos each by the hundreds, and a "hospital"" for sick and disabled crocodiles. It also intends to make good use of the raw materials derived from crocodile skin. The place also maintains a mini-zoo featuring some of Palawan's endemic animals. For a minimal fee, tourists can view the fearsome creatures, and have a photo opportunity holding a crocodile like a child. Next stop took us on a tour of the Sta. Monica Ranch of the late former Senator Ramon Mitra, and the nearby Baker's Hill, where we enjoyed taking photos of Marilyn Monroe, Snow White, and other Disney characters, plus the Ostrich Homer and Marge, the birds and the peacocks, and the plant nurseries. The beauty of endemic and Southeast Asian butterflies in a gardenlike setting at the Butterfly Garden was another treat. We witnessed live butterflies metamorphose from egg to pupa, emerging into fluttering, colorful butterflies. The last stop was Plaza Cuartel, formerly the military headquarters of the Spaniards and later by the Americans. In WWII, during the Japanese Occupation, 154 American prisoners of war were held here. On the final year of the war, the POW's were sent down to the dungeon, drums of petrol were poured onto them and lit up; 143 burnt to death while 11 escaped. After the war, it was again occupied by the Americans, later by the Philippine constabulary, then by the National Police. In 1997, it was transformed into a leisure park and became known by its present name. It is a few yards from the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral. Tags: Palawan Crocodile Farm Ramon Mitra Sta. Monica Ranch Butterfly Garden Plaza Cuartel Puerto Princesa

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Amazing Palawan Palawan, dubbed "the last frontier," is the Philippines' prime tourist destination, with two World Heritage sites (the Underground River and Tubbataha Reefs) to its name. Reputed to be the world's longest underground river, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (once known as the St. Paul Underground River) winds through a spectacular cavern underneath St. Paul Mountain. It was inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999. Known as one of the world's wonders, this river stretches eight kilometers deep into an underground lagoon with crystalline waters under rugged limestone and marble cliffs, special features of the park. Within the hallowed recesses, one winds through the tunnel aboard a paddle boat with outriggers to be awed at every turn which reveals stalactite pillars, rock formations, and domed amphitheaters. The park is located in Bahile, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Located 81 kilometers from the city proper, the place can be reached in 2-2.5 hours through Barangay Cabayugan to Sabang (on a bumpy ride in a tourist van) from where one could take a pumpboat (which takes about 15 minutes) to the Underground River, or hike through a monkey trail. An alternative way to reach the river is through a hired pumpboat ride from Bahile wharf. Sabang is a beautiful beach settlement, but the road to Sabang is pretty nasty (I threw up soon as we reached the place), but the day's trip was well worth it, an unforgettable experience. Tags: Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park St. Paul UndergroundRiver adventure nature

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Manila Ocean Park The Manila Ocean Park is intended to become "a marine themed park bringing together in one complex an Oceanarium, a mall, a restaurant row, boutique hotel, open water marine habitats and multi-purpose function facilities." The (8,000 square meters) oceanarium is said to be bigger than (6,000 square meters) Sentosa's Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore in terms of floor area but its 25-meters underwater acrylic tunnel is far shorter than Sentosa's 83-meters with moving travellator. The state-of-the-art Park had its soft opening last 29 February 2008. The park has a huge lobby with huge photos of marine life to whet the appetite of visitors, and food stalls to fill the stomach too. Visitors make their way through a series of aquariums beside stairways and artificial waterfalls in a section named "Agos". There's a portion where visitors can touch some starfish. There are more marine life in the "Bahura" and "Laot" sections of the oceanarium. It's interesting that all the marine life in the entire park are found in Philippine seas. The underwater tunnel of the "Buhay ng Karagatan" section is the real feature of the tour. The stingrays are wonderful, like graceful birds "flying" in the water. You could almost touch the fish except for the glass that divides their world from ours. There are more sharks in the "Ang Kalaliman" section with an overhanging tank where you can see the bellies of various sharks. The multimedia facility has some interactive games. The oceanarium is just the first phase of construction which will eventually include a hotel and mall, and open marine habitats. Already, it has the following sections open to visitors: 1. Agos (Flow) - a rainforest motiff complete with 8 tanks of freshwater fishes. 2. Bahura (The Reef) - exihibition of artificial corals in 48 tanks 3. Laot (Fishing Ground) - features big fish and Eagle-spotted rays in a long tank. 4. Kalaliman (The Deep) - showcases marine animals found in the deepest parts of Philippine waters. 5. Buhay na Karagatan (Living Ocean) - the main attraction of the oceanarium is a 25-meter long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls similarly seen in Ocean Park Hong Kong, Singapore's Underwater World in Sentosa, Siam's Ocean World in Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur's Aquaria in Malaysia. 6. Overhang Tank - variety of rays fly over while you're under this unique Overhang Tank. 7. Pating (Shark) - features several species of shark. The Manila Ocean Park (MOP) is currently under construction behind the historical Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park. Tags: Manila Ocean Park oceanarium

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The Cloisters Museum of Medieval Art This uptown branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is worth the 45-minute subway ride from midtown (plus a pleasant 10-minute walk through Fort Tryon Park.) Perched on the tip of Manhattan, on four acres overlooking the Hudson River, the castle-like Museum is comprised of five Medieval cloisters imported from France and filled with art and artifacts. It is the largest single collection of medieval art and artifacts in the United States. The Cloisters, as described by Germain Bazin, former director of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, "the crowning achievement of American museology," is devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. The Museum building itself incorporates portions of original medieval chapels, monastic cloisters, a chapter house, and other architectural elements dating from the 12th through 15th centuries. Perhaps the most celebrated attractions are The Unicorn Tapestries, a group of seven wall hangings that vividly portray the mythological hunt and capture of a unicorn. Other gallery objects include religious sculptures, water vessels shaped like animals, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass and ivories. Approximately five thousand works of art from medieval Europe, dating from about A.D. 800 with particular emphasis on the twelfth through fifteenth centuries, are exhibited in this unique museum. Many visitors come for the building itself: one room recreates a 12th-century chapel, The Fuentiduena Chapel, and another, the Chapter House (from Notre-Dame-De-Pontaut). The chapter house was so named because the monks would sit and listen to one monk read one chapter aloud from the monastic rule book. All of the business of the monastery and even group confession also took place in the chapter house. The monastery gardens are as breathtaking as the vistas overlooking the Hudson. The herb garden in the Bonnefont Cloister contains more than 250 species of plants which were grown during the Middle Ages. Its design is typical of a medieval monastery garden plan, but no attempt was made to replicate any one monastic garden in particular. Some kind of ceremonies or rituals accompany the picking of herbs. Some herbs were to be picked at sunrise, while looking towards the east, in silence, or without looking behind oneself. Many of these herbs are associated with love, others used for cooking and seasoning, and still others for artistic purposes. A tour of this place truly imparts a feeling of being in another time. Tags: Cloisters Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City Manhattan Medieval Architecture

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A Manhattan Sunday with Cybele Sunday is as good time as any to walk around downtown Manhattan's many neighborhoods, from Trinity Church all the way to Union Square. Along Broadway Street, we passed by Trinity Church (one of the oldest churches in the United States, and has been destroyed and rebuilt twice since it was originally chartered in 1697; present church was built by Richard Upjohn in 1846 in the Neo-Gothic style), the colonial church of St. Paul's (built in 1766), and City Hall Park. This park is a redeeming influence in a neighborhood that otherwise has more than its share of large buildings, bordering as it does on the financial district, with its centerpiece, the Jacob Wrey Mould Fountain, that is lit by four gas lamps even during the day--an incredible sight. The largest Chinatown in the US, NYC Chinatown, is along Canal Street, and we passed the famous landmark, First National City Bank of New York. Here in downtown Manhattan, we found acronyms of places of interest, such as TriBeCa (for "TRIangle BElow CAnal Street"), home to many galleries and artists lofts; SoHo ("SOuth of HOuston"), famous for the galleries and shops lining its narrow streets; and the far more recent vintage NoLIta ("NOrth of Little ITaly"), packed with NYC's best Italian restaurants and cafes. Some neighborhoods, such as SoHo, are commercial in nature and known for upscale shopping. Others, such as Greenwich Village (home to Washington Square Park, NYU and NoHo), the Lower East Side and the East Village, have long been associated with the "Bohemian" subculture. Washington Square, with its landmark Washington Arch, is an open space with a tradition of nonconformity. The park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists. Most of the buildings surrounding the park now belong to New York University. One of it famous monuments is that of Garibaldi, an Italian patriot and soldier. Union Square is noted for its impressive equestrian statue of George Washington, created by Henry Kirke Brown and unveiled in 1856. Other statues in the park include the Marquis de Lafayette, created by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, Abraham Lincoln, also created by Henry Kirke Brown, and a newer addition, added in 1986, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the southwest corner of the park. We ended up shopping at Babies R Us. Tags: Manhattan downtown New York City cityscape landmarks

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Imagine Strawberry Fields Strawberry Fields is a living memorial to the world-famous singer, songwriter, and social activist John Lennon (1940--1980). This 2.5 acre area of Central Park, which the Lennons adopted as their favorite oasis in the park, was named in 1981, and the re-landscaped Strawberry Fields was dedicated in 1985, and named after his famous song Strawberry Fields Forever. In the 1970s Lennon and Ono settled in New York, and in 1973 moved into the landmark Dakota Mansion (designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and built in 1881-1884), on 72nd Street and Central Park West. They occupied a series of apartments on the sixth floor; Yoko purchased offices on the first floor for their company, Lenono. On December 8, 1980, obsessed fan Mark David Chapman fatally shot Lennon in front of his home, an event that shocked the city and was felt around the world. At Strawberry Fields, landscape architect Bruce Kelly designed a meditative Garden of Peace, rich in trees, shrubs and flowers, which was integrated with the historic landscape of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822--1903) and Calvert Vaux (1824--1895). There are over 120 different species of plants and trees contained in Strawberry Fields. The path that runs through it is shaped like a tear drop. The slope behind the memorial is called Rose Hill, for the rambling roses amidst the bedrock. At the western apex of the garden, Neopolitan artisans crafted a circular black and white mosaic emblem into the pavement, containing a starburst pattern and the solitary word, "Imagine," the title of one of Lennon's most famous songs. Shaded by a grove of stately American elms, the mosaic is a replica of a famous mosaic in Pompeii and was a gift from Naples, Italy. The only change from the original is the inclusion of "Imagine" in the center of the mosaic. The mosaic is a popular place for visitors to place flowers, pictures and tokens in memory of John Lennon. On weekends, people gather around the memorial, some armed with musical instruments, to sing/play Beatles songs in nostalgia. Tags: Strawberry Fields Central Park New York City landmark

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The wild world of Bronx Zoo Dubbed as the world's greatest zoo - the Bronx Zoo remains the flagship of the largest network of metropolitan zoos in the US, with award-winning, cutting-edge exhibits featuring over 4,000 animals. In November 2006, Mara with Ponz and Faye visited the zoo and spent a full day nose-to-nose with lowland gorillas, watching snow leopards and their baby cubs in the naturalistic Himalayan Highlands Habitat, and counting the birds at the World of Birds. The Bronx Zoo first opened its gates to the public on November 8, 1899. At the time, the zoo had 22 exhibits and 843 animals. Now only the outer structure of the World of Reptiles remains much as it was in 1899. Although all species are important, snow leopards hold a special place in Bronx Zoo history. These beautiful and endangered cats were first exhibited at the zoo in 1903, making it the first zoo in the western hemisphere to exhibit them. Snow leopards have been successfully bred at the Bronx Zoo, with 82 cubs born between 1966 to 1999. Bronx Zoo has remained a leader in zoo exhibit design. Some of the exhibits created include the Aquatic Bird House (1964), World of Darkness (1969), World of Birds (1972), Wild Asia (1977), and JungleWorld (1985). The outdoor exhibits include Baboon Reserve, Big Bears, Bison Range, Himalayan Highlands and Tiger Mountain. Tags: Bronx Zoo New York City

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A trip to Liberty Island Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), also known as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté), is a monumental statue presented to America by France in 1886 as a gesture of friendship established between the two nations during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship. It is accessible to the public only by ferry, either from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. Liberty Island is much closer to Jersey City, New Jersey than New York City. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, with Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) who engineered the internal structure, was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. Since the Statue was to be a joint effort between America and France, it was agreed that the American people would build the pedestal, and the French people would build the Statue. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885. It was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates, then re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28, 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators, a centennial gift ten years late. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was added to the World Heritage List. In 2007, it was one of 20 finalists in a competition to name the New Seven Wonders of the World. There is a sister statue in Paris on the river Seine and several others elsewhere in France. Tags: Liberty Island New York City StatueofLiberty Ground Zero Battery Park Castle Clinton Verrazano Bridge

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Hong Kong Holiday Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets West, blending ancient traditions with the western cosmopolitan influences. On one street corner, there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup. But around the next, one may find theaters showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster, an English-style pub, or a McDonald's, Hong Kong, which means "Fragrant harbor", was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The former colony is divided into four main areas - Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands. The city itself is centered around Victoria Harbour. The main business district is Central, on Hong Kong Island. East of Central lies the Admiralty commercial district; Wan Chai, known for restaurants and clubs; then Causeway Bay, a major shopping area. Towering above it all is the Peak, Hong Kong's premier scenic outlook and residential district. In Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui (on the southern tip), Jordan and Yau Ma Tei are busy hotel and shopping areas, while Mong Kok is a bustling residential and another shopping area. No visitor to Hong Kong should miss the longest escalator in the world, the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System. The Statue square at Central derives its name from the various effigies of British royalty on display here that were spirited away by the Japanese during the occupation. Only one statue actually remains, a bronze effigy of Sir Thomas Jackson, a particularly successful Victorian chief manager of the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank. The colonnaded and domed neoclassical building on the east side of Statue Square was once the old Supreme Court, built in 1912 as the seat of the Legislative Council (Legco). St. John's Cathedral, an Anglican church consecrated in 1849, is one of the very few colonial structures still standing in Central. Criticized for blighting the colony's landscape when it was first erected, St John's is now lost in the forest of skyscrapers that make up Central. A short walk from Central, along Hollywood Rd, is a temple, one of the oldest and most famous in Hong Kong, the Man Mo Temple. A short distance west of Cat St, next to Hollywood Road Park, is Possession St., a historic landmark without a marker, the spot where the British first landed in 1841. A short walk from here to Morrison St is Western Market, an Edwardian-style bldg built in 1906 as the Harbour Office, another historic landmark, and now converted into an elegant shopping place for Chinese arts and crafts. A day's trip to the New Territories close to the Szenchen border of China via the Kowloon-Canton Railway led us to Tai Po. The Tai Po district is one of the oldest settlements in HK, and gained fame as a market town and the home of the Tangs, one of the territory's original clans. A visit to Lam Tsuen where we found the wishing tree, a huge but slowly dying banyan tree, led us to the Tin Hau temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Heaven, and to the HK Railway Museum. The museum is housed in the former Tai Po Market train station, built in 1913 in traditional Chinese style. Exhibits, including a narrow-gauge steam locomotive dating back to 1911, detail the history of the development of rail transport in the territory. The street-long outdoor wet market in Tai Po is a stone's throw from the Museum, one of the busiest and most interesting markets in the New Territories. Towards the northern end of the same street is the double-hall Man Mo Temple, founded in the late 19th century and is dedicated to the gods of literature and of war. From Taiwo station, the next train stop is Fanling. "Fanling" literally means ridge of powder, and the place was named after a holy rock found here, which according to legend brings rains. Just outside the station is a cluster of beautiful structures, the Fung Yin Seen Koon Taoist temple built in 1929. From here, we took the next train stop to Sheung Shui, close to the Chinese border at Shenzhen, to visit the cultural gem of HK, Tai Fu Tai Mansion, a fine example of traditional Chinese dwellings of the scholar-gentry class. This ancient mansion was probably built in 1865 in the reign of the Qing Dynasty, as the residence of Man Chung-luen whose ancestors had settled in San Tin since the 15th century. The best thing about being in Hong Kong is getting smothered by the confluences and contradictions of a Chinese city with multi-Asian and Western elements. A couple of blocks northeast of the Jade Market is a temple dedicated to Tin Hau, the goddess of seafarers. The Tin Hau temple complex along famous Nathan Road houses an altar dedicated to Shing Wong, the god of the city, and to To Tei, the earth god, and a row of fortune-tellers. Not very far is the famous night market at Temple St., and Jade Market at Shanghai St. Tags: Hongkong Kowloon New Territories Victoria Peak Tsim Tsai Tsui Nathan Road Possession St Tai Fu Mansion Man Mo

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Beaune Beaune is a quaint, charming jewel-of-a-town in the midst of a vast medieval countryside, the main town among the sleepy villages of the Cote d'Or region of Burgundy. Burgundy (Bourgogne) only became part of France in 1477: Up until then the region was an independent dukedom that was more affluent and more influential than the Kingdom of France itself during the 14th and 15th centuries. As the wine capital of Burgundy, and the embodiment of the Burgundian spirit, Beaune manages to retain its air of ancient French town while catering to the influx of tourists who come to buy the wine. The old city is enclosed by ramparts and a stream, around which runs the one-way boulevard known by seven different names. Distinctive of Beaune, with its narrow cobbled streets and old houses, ancient trees and hidden gardens, and its steep roofs of multicolored tiles, is this delightful complex building of the poor, the Hospices de Beaune. These historical hospitals mark the very beginning of the history of charity work, and recall, in its elegant originality, the municipal buildings of Flanders ; it is Flemish art at its most brilliant period, transported to Burgundy. The Hospices de Beaune is one of the best preserved examples of medieval architecture in Europe. Built in 1443 by Philippe-le-bon (Philip the Fair), Duke of Burgundy, as a hospital and home for the poor following the Hundred Years War, the Hospice, which has been a working hospital since its founding, is actually two major buildings, the Hotel-Dieu (meaning hospital rather than hotel) and the Hospice de la Charite. The Hotel-Dieu is Beaune's grandest attraction, with its perfectly preserved Burgundian-Flemish architecture, and priceless art collection. Its somber stone facade is surmounted by a vast, steeply sloping roof, tiled in a lozenge pattern of red, yellow, black and white. Inside , its most striking feature is the Grand'Salle, or Paupers' Room , 160 feet long, still displaying the original 15th century furnishings, among them 28 red-canopied and red-curtained beds used by the patients of five centuries ago. ''One must have time to live,'' the French say, and there is time to wander through the streets of this medieval village. A few blocks north from the Hôtel-Dieu is the Romanesque church of Notre-Dame, a three-aisled basilica in Cluniac style with transepts, a choir ending in a semicircular apse and a square tower over the crossing. The Basilique Collégiale Notre Dame de Beaune is one of the last great Romanesque churches of Burgundy, built in the early mid-12th century. As a result of later extensions, the exterior of the church is largely Gothic. The interior has fine 15th-century stained glass and medieval frescoes. A series of 15th-century tapestries relating to the life of the Virgin hangs in Beaune's main church. Another striking feature is the "Vierge Noire," an example of the "Black Madonna" resting in her bower over-looking the nave, so-named because they are either painted in dark colors or carved of dark wood. Medieval fortresses, magnificent old church, delicious restaurants, good shopping, pleasant accommodations, and lots of sincere town characters, make up Beaune. Tags: Beaune Burgundy Bourgogne Hotel-Dieu Hospices Basilique Collégiale Notre Dame

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Scenic Switzerland About twenty minutes drive from Lucerne is a little market town, the capital of the half-canton of Nidwalden, called Stans. In the main square (Dorfplatz ) of this tiny picturesque old village is the parish church (Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul) which, from the Middle Ages onwards, was the sole house of worship in the canton (rebuilt in Baroque style 1641-47). The church remains crowned by a Romanesque bell tower. Inside the church, I listened to the beautiful music played from its exquisite organ. Outside the church is an 1865 fountain dedicated to Arnold von Winkelried, a native of the town, hero of the Battle of Sempach (1386). To the right of the church is a double chapel of 1482 (charnel-house); to the left, above the church, stands the Town Hall (1715) where can be seen an interesting collection of paintings of Swiss cantonal officials. Another notable landmark is the historical museum. The alleys surrounding Dorfplatz are worth a wander. Schmiedgasse to the east is a quiet and atmospheric back alley, while to the west is Altes Postplatz, and the Höfli, or Rosenburg House, a medieval turreted building with a rear courtyard overlooked by beautiful Italianate loggias. Surrounded by orchards, Stans is a tourist center with a funicular railway to the summit of the beautiful Stanserhorn, the highest peak in the area, rising to 1900m above the village, south of the Lake of Lucerne (Vierwaldensee). This mountain is accessible via one of the oldest mountain railways in Switzerland, the Stanserhornbahn (1893). There is a revolving panorama restaurant (Rondorama) on the top which, from every angle, allows a fantastic view of the breathtaking panorama over 100 km of the Alpine range and ten Swiss lakes. Here, one can easily enjoy the typically Swiss atmosphere, and the wild-flower reserve on top of the Stanserhorn Mountain. Our hotel, Hotel Hirschen, is located at Seehof in Fluelen, a municipality in the canton of Uri, the farthest point of the lake from Lucerne, a picturesque little place with the train station right beside the landing stage. Tags: Switzerland Stans Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul Stanserhorn Stanserhornbahn Seehof Fluelen

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Lucerne - a gem in the heart of Switzerland Goethe described Switzerland as a combination of "the colossal and the well-ordered." One is always sure that the trains and letters will be on time. The tidy, just-so precision of Swiss towns is tempered by the lofty splendor of the landscapes that surround them. Fresh mountain air, clear blue lakes and clean cultured cities make Switzerland a dream come true. A gem at the heart of Switzerland is Lucerne, lapped by scenic Lake Lucerne and surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains - its striking skyline epitomizes the very essence of Switzerland. It is often considered to be the true "Swiss" capital. Charming Lucerne has an 'Old Town' center of 15th-century buildings with painted facades, towers, a 17th-century Renaissance town hall, old squares and picture-perfect medieval bridges adorned with rooftop art. Any tour of Lucerne must begin with the 14th-century covered Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), the oldest road bridge in Europe, angled around the octagonal mid-river Wasserturm (water tower). Constructed in 1333 as a part of the city's fortifications and named after St. Peterskapelle (St. Peter's Chapel), which is located nearby, the wooden bridge has come to stand as the symbol of Lucerne. The principal historical interest of the bridge lay in its collection of double-sided triangular roof ceiling panels, painted by Heinrich Wägmann in 1614 with scenes from the city's historical past and mythological events, including the biographies of the city's patron saints, St. Leodegar and St. Maurice. Each is numbered, and captioned with rhyming couplets, the idiosyncratic local dialect written out in obscure medieval gothic script. The most distinctive image is panel no. 31, which shows William Tell shooting the apple from his son's head. The water tower - over 34 meters high - was built around 1300 as part of the city wall and used as an archive, treasury, prison and torture chamber. It is Lucerne's landmark and the most frequently photographed monument in Switzerland. Kapellplatz, at the bridgehead of the Kapellbrücke, encircles the tiny 18th-century St. Peter's Chapel, built over a predecessor dating from as early as 1178. Some 150m west is Kornmarkt, site of the medieval public marketplace. On one side, overlooking the riverside market area of Unter der Egg, is the huge Rathaus, completed in 1606 in Italian Renaissance style but crowned with an oddly incongruous Emmentaler-style roof. The twin needle towers of the church of St. Leodegar, which was named after the city's patron saint, sit on a small hill just above the lakefront. Originally built as a Benedictine monastery in 735, the present structure was erected in 1633 in the late Renaissance style. It is the most important Renaissance church in Switzerland. Especially noteworthy are the façade, Mary's altar (with a relief panel dating from 1500), and the souls' altar. The interior is richly decorated. The church is popularly called the Hofkirche (Hof Church). Not far from the city center is is one of the world's most famous monuments, the dying Lion of Lucerne (Löwendenkmal), done by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen) in 1819-21. It was carved out of natural rock in memory of the heroic deaths of some 800 Swiss guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where King Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and their children took refuge. Mark Twain described the Lion of Lucerne as the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world. Tags: Lucerne Switzerland Chapel Bridge Water Tower Rathaus Hof Church St.Leger St.Peter'sChapel LionofLucerne

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Scenic Switzerland - Lugano, Interlaken, Gruyeres Lugano is a town in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy, dubbed by tourists as the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland". It occupies the balmy, lake-laced southern foothills of the Alps. In autumn of 2003, I made a brief visit here to see St. Mary of the Angels Church (Santa Maria degli Angeli), a 16th century church famous for the frescoes done by Bernardino Luini, a North Italian painter from Leonardo da Vinci's circle. In 1529 Luini completed one of his masterworks, the grand Passion and Crucifixion fresco, paired by other works in the same church. In the heart of the Swiss alps, situated between the Lakes of Thun and Brienz and at the foot of the famous trio of peaks, the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, is Interlaken, a municipality in the canton of Bern. It is one of the oldest tourist resorts in Switzerland, and remains one of the most popular. Its main attraction is probably the magnificent Jungfrau mountain (4158m). Decisive in the development of the Interlaken area was the Augustine Monastery which was founded at the beginning of the 12th century, and was first mentioned by name "inter lacus" in 1133. The Interlaken Monastery was finally abolished in 1528. The former monastery then became the castle and the seat of government. The walls and turrets of Gruyères's fairytale castle, 50km northeast of Lausanne, bristle atop a single crag rising above the gorgeous rolling lowlands of Canton Fribourg. The whole region -- of which the medieval town of Gruyères is the best-known attraction -- is known as LA GRUYÈRE. This perfectly preserved old castle-village, isolated on its crag but within easy reach of Lake Geneva, is one of Switzerland's most photogenic sights and attracts hordes of daytrippers throughout the summer season to stroll on the village's only street and explore the impressive château. The château was formerly the regional seat of power, occupied from 1080 to 1554, by the nineteen counts of Gruyères. To approach it, one must walk the length of Gruyères's dipping, picturesque main street with its central fountain and quaint old houses on either side bedecked with hanging signs. Highlights of the chateau include Flemish tapestries decorating the count's bedchamber, French artist Corot's room with landscapes painted by him, and other rooms throughout the castle with grand fireplaces, heraldic stained glass, and booty from the Battle of Murten where Louis II, Count of Gruyère, fought on the Swiss side. The wood-panelled Knights' Hall is impressive, as is the small formal garden at the very back, on the tip of the hill. Beside the castle, Gruyères's church is in an exceptionally beautiful location, backed by valley vistas. La Gruyère district is also home to the world famous Le Gruyère cheese, the finest and best-known type of Swiss cheese. It has been made since the 12th Century, when cheese was used as currency in Switzerland. Our hotel, Hotel Hirschen, is located at Seehof in Fluelen, a municipality in the canton of Uri, the farthest point of the lake from Luzern, a picturesque little place with the train station right beside the landing stage. Tags: Lugano Interlaken Gruyeres Switzerland Seehof Fluelen Santa Maria degli Angeli

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Pisa - Piazza dei Miracoli Pisa is truly a Romanesque delight. Dripping with a profusion of artwork, the city offers historical insights both rare and precious. At its heart lies the exquisitely pretty Piazza dei Miracoli ("Square of Miracles) which ranks as one of the world's loveliest squares. Set among its sprawling lawns is one of Europe's most extraordinary concentrations of Romanesque splendor, the cathedral (Duomo), baptistry, cemetery (or Camposanto) and Leaning Tower within its lush grounds. No visit to Italy is complete without a trip to see the celebrated Torre pendente di Pisa. Construction of the tower began in 1173 but after the third tier, it had to be interrupted because the ground was giving way which lead to its famous tilt. In the 14th century, Giovanni de Simone, architect of the Camposanto, finished the work begun by Diotisalvi with the creation of the Bell Room. With 294 steps, it is about 56 meters high and is inclined in relation to the vertical by 4 meters. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical scale. The largest one was installed in 1655. The Tower is situated behind the Duomo, which is considered to be the most important expression of Pisan Romanesque. The majesty of Pisa's cathedral, entitled to Santa Maria Assunta (St. Mary of the Assumption), made it a model for Romanesque churches throughout Tuscany. Clad with alternating bands of dark green and cream marble that is characteristic of Pisan-Romanesque style, the main facade has four exquisite tiers of columns. Its construction began in 1064 by Buscheto and was completed by Rainaldo in the 12th century. On its bronze doors the stories of the Madonna and Christ are incised. Inside, the five naves showcase paintings by Beccafumi, Ghirlandaio, Andrea del Sarto and Sodoma. The unusual round baptistry was started in 1153 by Diotisalvi, remodelled by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano more than a century later and completed in the 14th century. The lower level is Pisan-Romanesque while the pinnacled upper section and dome are Gothic. In 1987 the whole square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pisa has a centuries-old tradition as a university town. After the city fell to Florence in 1406, the Medici encouraged great artistic, literary and scientific endeavors and re-established Pisa's university (which was created in 1343). Galileo Galilei, the city's most famous son, later taught at the university. Pisan residents include the Romantic poets, Byron and Shelley. Tags: Pisa Tuscany Italy Piazza dei Miracoli Duomo Leaning Tower Camposanto

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Glimpses of Florence Florence (or Firenze)is famous among tourists and scholars for her glorious artwork, cultural heritage, and the major role she played in the Renaissance and Humanist movements. All these facets combine to make this one of the most glorious cities in the world. Cradle of the Renaissance, this beautiful city is also called the Athens of the Middle Ages. The "Historic Centre of Florence" was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982. Florence, the main town of Tuscany, is just at the center of Italy (300 kms south from Milan and 280 north from Rome). As a Renaissance city famous for its art and architecture, I rediscovered history and culture in every corner, tucked among the city's many piazzas, beautiful churches, and fascinating galleries and museums. As a matter of fact, there are few places in the world that have such a huge concentration of monuments and masterpieces in such a small space. The city is dominated by the splendid piazza del Duomo, and, at its core, the Duomo, the city's cathedral, with its exterior inlaid with intricately patterned pink, white and green marble. The symbol of Florence soars above the surrounding buildings; in fact, it's so huge that there's no point nearby from where you can see the entire building, but one gets glimpses of it wandering through the neighboring streets. The word duomo comes from a latin word "domus" (house) and "Domus" is the House of God. The Duomo, or Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore, is one of Europe's most recognizable landmarks. Looming over the city, the building features a massive dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The Florentine Gothic duomo was begun in 1296 and consecrated in 1436. The baptistry doors dedicated to St. John the Baptist (which date back to 1059), known as the Gates of Paradise, were created by Ghiberti, and Dante, the father of Italian Renaissance poetry, was baptized here. Giotto continued the construction work begun in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio, who was also the famous architect of the church of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio, and Giotto's major accomplishment was the building of the campanile (built in 1334). The frescos at the Dome represent the Last Judgement done by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, renowned Renaissance artists. Built around the end of the thirteenth century as a symmetrical contrast to the city's religious center, Piazza della Signoria has always been the civic center of Florentine life right from the medieval times. Of all its many squares, this is Florence's showpiece piazza, with the 13th-century crenellated Palazzo Vecchio, and surrounded by other important buildings, such as the Loggia della Signoria and the Palazzo degli Uffizi on the south side, the sixteenth century Palazzo degli Uguccioni on the north side, and the Palazzo del Tribunale di Mercanzia (about 1359) on the east side. At the heart of the piazza is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct. Heading towards the river from the piazza Signoria, the piazzale degli Uffizi is home to the greatest museum of Renaissance art in the world, the Uffizi Gallery. Occupying the former offices of the Medici administration, many of Italy's most celebrated paintings can be seen here -- the Uffizi has a room filled with nothing but Botticellis, including the famous Birth of Venus and the glowing Allegory of Spring, along with stunning works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Titian. The huge area that surrounds Santa Croce is one of Florence's richest neighborhoods. The mock-Gothic church of Santa Croce dates back to the 13th century, and is filled with the tombs of the city's illustrious dead. Dante's tomb is just a memorial, as he was buried in Ravenna, but Michelangelo does actually lie in his elaborate tomb, as does Galileo in his. Tags: Florence Italy Duomo SantaMaria del Fiore Piazza della Signoria Uffizi Croce

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Enchanted Kingdom 2007 An amusement park in the Philippines, located in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, about 26 kilometers (16.1 miles) from Manila, Enchanted Kingdom first opened its magical doors to the public in 1995. With Ate Camille and Ate Muriel, Mara visits the park for the first time, and immensely enjoyed every moment! Tags: Enchanted Kingdom theme parks Christmas holiday Santa Rosa Laguna Philippines

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A Roman Holiday Sightseeing in Rome is exhilarating and exhausting. Its sheer imperial scale is sure to knock you out. That it wasn't built in a day is quickly evident when I started to explore the Roman ruins, monuments, basilicas, churches, piazzi, parks, museums and fountains. All these and the Vatican too! Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome was first the center of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, and then, it became the capital of the Christian world in the 4th century, the "Caput Mundi," and now the World Heritage site extended in 1990 to the walls of Urban VIII and includes some of the major monuments of antiquity such as the massive Colosseum, the Forums, the Mausoleums of Augustus and Hadrian, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, as well as the religious and public buildings of papal Rome. Basilica San Clemente is perhaps Rome's most unusual church near the Colosseum. A place of worship for more than 2,000 years, first as a pagan temple and, since the fourth century, a Christian church that was rebuilt in the 12th century; each structure still visible; frescoes and mosaics date to the first millennium. The Eternal City is one of Europe's most ancient urban centers, dating back almost 3,000 years. Rome's early inhabitants left behind a trove of architectural masterpieces. The Italian capital also boasts an unparalleled concentration of world-class art, from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel to the baroque Trevi Fountain, and teems with restaurants, trattorie, osterie, pizzerie, enoteche, cafés, bars, and gelaterie. It is home to the animated, good-humored Romans, who live to eat, drink wine (and espresso), and be merry. So, for this series, I chose selected video clips of my Roman holiday in the year 2003. Tags: Rome Italy Colosseum Roman Forum Arch of Constantine Titus Victor Emmanuel II Basilica Santa Maria in Aracoeli travel log

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St. Peter's Basilica in Rome St Peter's Square is a great place to hang out in Rome and a trip here wouldn't be complete without seeing St Peter's Basilica, which stands behind the square. People come from near and far just to see Saint Peter's Basilica, Seat of the Catholic religion. This well known basilica is one of Rome's most famous attractions and is renowned to be the traditional burial site of Saint Peter. His tomb is below the baldachin and altar; for this reason, many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there, including Pope John Paul II in 2005. The altar also holds a relic of the Cathedra Petri, which is, according to Catholic tradition, the episcopal throne of St. Peter. Built between 1506 to 1626 on the ruins of the Old Saint Peter's Basilica (4th cent.), this incredible attraction is not only enormous but also holds several striking memorials and monuments within it. The Basilica covers an area of 5.7 acres and can hold over 60,000 people. It is filled with many masterpieces and unfortunately, it is impossible to view them all in just one visit. Highlights of this visit are three attractions, namely Michelangelo's Pieta, the superb dome originally designed by Michelangelo, and thirdly, the famous 29m high baroque baldachin by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which can be found over the main altar. Included are the "Holy Door," Raphael's Transfiguration, the enthroned statue of St. Peter, and the preserved bodies of Popes Pius X and John XXIII. Piazza San Pietro, designed by Bernini in the 17th century with large crowds in mind, is round in shape, very spacious, with two enormous columns (Tuscan colonnades) defining the outline of the square. These columns are supported by four rows of Doric pillars that are 60ft tall. There is a 13th century b.c. Egyptian obelisk standing in the center of the square. The Vatican obelisk is the only obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since the Roman times - that's a feat in itself. This obelisk is made from red granite and stands 25.5m tall. This magnificent structure is supported on bronze lions and it is said that the gilt ball on top of the obelisk contains the ashes of Rome's most famous emperor, Julius Caesar himself. Tags: St. Peter Basilica Rome Vatican Italy Michelangelo Bernini Pope JohnXXIII PiusX Pieta Piazza Square

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The Vatican Treasures In the heart of Rome, the "Eternal City," can be found the world's smallest sovereign city-state, the Vatican. It covers an area of about 1 square km and is surrounded by the city wall which was built to protect the Pope. As the headquarters of the Catholic Church, it draws people from all corners of the globe to St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel. The arrogant opulence of the Vatican is manifested in its treasures. The Vatican Museums are huge and it's impossible to see everything in one visit - even just for the highlights. Our tour started at the domed Quattro Cancelli area, near the entrance, and finished at the Sistine Chapel. Each gallery contains priceless treasures but for this tour, we focused on the Stanza di Raffaello, the Tapestries Gallery, the Gallerie delle Carte Geografiche (Map Gallery) and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. The chapel's ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti (commissioned by Pope Julius II della Rovere in 1508 and completed in 1512), is an incredible, neck-breaking piece of art! Its two most famous pieces are Michelangelo's Genesis, which is located on the barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the Last Judgement, which is located on the end wall. This is also where the papal conclave is locked to elect a pope. The conclave is one of the most significant functions of the Sistine Chapel. The frescoes down the middle of the chapel represent nine scenes from the book of Genesis, with the Creation of Adam as the best known. The wall paintings were executed by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, and Luca Signorelli. Michelangelo painted the Last Judgement over the altar, between 1535 and 1541, being commissioned by Pope Paul III Farnese. The Map Gallery consists of topographical maps of the whole of Italy, painted on the walls by friar Ignazio Danti of Perugia, as commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII (1572--1585). This gallery is situated at the west side of the Belvedere Courtyard. The decorations on the vaulted ceiling is the work of a group of Mannerist artists (such as Cesare Nebbia and Girolamo Muziano). For a more detailed view of the art treasures: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/0-Musei.html Tags: Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel Rome Italy Michelangelo Buonarroti

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Mara turns 4 Mara celebrates her 4th birthday at Max restaurant - ATC. Watch her play games, eat her lunch by herself, and dance with the Mascot. Catch also her Dad play games with her adult guests, and watch her adult guests dance with the mascot and her guest kids. Finally, she sings the happy birthday song with her guests, and blows her birthday cake candle amid applause. Tags: birthdays parties Max Mara

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Italy's Best Kept Secrets - Assisi Nestled between the hills of Tuscany, Marche and Lazio, Umbria regards itself as the green heart of Italy. Home to the beautiful medieval towns of Perugia and Assisi, the rolling mountains of the Appennini, flower-filled meadows and vineyards, and castles on the hillside, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. The town of Assisi, with its Roman ruins, winding medieval streets and sacred shrines, has been a major Catholic pilgrimage destination for centuries. Perched halfway up Mount Subasio, the visual impact of Assisi's shimmering white and pink marble buildings is magnificent. The city is dominated by the massive 14th-century Rocca Maggiore - a hill fortress offering fabulous views over the valley and nearby Perugia. St Francis was born here in 1182 and work began on his basilica two years after his death in 1228, as a fitting tribute to the patron saint of animals. The stunning Basilica di San Francesco, a UNESCO world heritage site, comprising of two churches, houses one of the world's most impressive collections of art outside a gallery, with glittering frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and Martini. St. Francis himself lies buried under the crypt. Roman foundations are a common feature of many buildings in Assisi. The town's many churches include Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro, St. Clare and the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. San Pietro is a sober little church downhill from the Basilica di San Francesco. Although consecrated in 1253, the simple rectangular facade with its three large spoked windows wasn't finished until 1268. The church interior is spare, of interest mainly for its strange pre-Gothic pointed ceiling vaults and the odd dome, a concentric cone of bricks in the Arab-Norman style. At the time of my visit, a simple wedding took place here. Tags: Assisi Italy Umbria Perugia Basilica di SanFrancesco St Francis San Pietro travel log

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Venice - more than a dream Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic Sea, city of canals and palaces, was for a thousand years one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers on earth. Flamboyant and radiantly beautiful, Venice owes her grandeur to the sea, a bond celebrated yearly through regattas. Today it is a human tide that washes over her — millions come to capture a glimmer of her charms. In 810 , the Rialto island was the site of the first major constructions in this sea town, which included Saint Mark's Basilica in 828, designed to house the supposed relics of the Saint and those from the Benedictine monasteries of San Servolo, San Zaccaria and San Giorgio. The Basilica di San Marco is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on St Mark's Square adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. Building work on the first chapel to honor the freshly arrived corpse of St Mark, which Venetian merchants stole from Alexandria, Egypt, began in 828. On the loggia above the main door are copies of the delightful prancing horses that were also hijacked from Constantinople (the gilded-bronze originals are on display inside). The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the basilica in about 1254. They date back to classical antiquity; by some accounts they once adorned the Arch of Trajan. The basilica's 10th-century campanile, a 99m-tall bell tower, collapsed without warning on 14 July 1902, and was rebuilt brick by brick Oddly, it contains just one bell, the marangona, which survived the fall. Palazzo Ducale, the Doge's Palace, a rare example of civil Venetian Gothic, was home to the doge (duke) and all arms of government, including prisons. Established in the 9th cent., the palace has been linked to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs (built in the 16th cent.). The name "Bridge of Sighs" (Ponte dei Sospiri) was coined by the 19th cent. Romantic poet Lord Byron, who popularized the belief that the bridge's name was inspired by the sighs of condemned prisoners as they were led through it to the executioner. It is believed that the legendary 18th-century philanderer Giacomo Casanova did some time there. Local legends mention that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge. The Torre Dell'orologio (Clock Tower), an early-Renaissance gem built by Mauro Codussi, is a fitting timepiece for the Piazza di Sa Marco, and was considered such a work of genius that it is said its designer (from the region of Emilia) was blinded to prevent him from repeating the feat anywhere else! As the central landmark and gathering place for Venice, Piazza San Marco is extremely popular with not only tourists and photographers, but also with pigeons. The Piazza originated in the 9th century as a small area in front of the original basilica, and was enlarged to its present size and shape in 1177. The Piazza di San Marco may be more famous, but the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) is the true heart of Venice. The current structure, which replaced the old pontoon bridge (b. 1181) and the succeeding one made of timber (1280), was built in just three years, between 1588 and 1591 that had spanned the Grand Canal and remained the only way to cross it on foot until the Accademia Bridge was built in 1854. The Rialto Bridge's 24-foot arch was designed to allow passage of galleys, and the massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years later. The architect, Antonio da Ponte ("Anthony of the Bridge," appropriately enough), competed against such eminent designers as Michelangelo and Palladio for the contract. Other famous landmarks in Venice are churches. The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica of St Mary of Health/Salvation), commonly known simply as the Salute, is famous not only because of its decorative and distinctive profile, but because its location makes it among the most photographed churches in Italy. Another church in Venice is San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Andrea Palladio, and located on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Built in 1566, the church, sometimes designated as a basilica, is a prime example of Palladio's architectural style, and one of the finest churches he designed. Tags: Venice Italy St. Mark's Basilica Piazza San Marco Doge's Palace Bridge of Sighs Rialto Venetian churches gondolas

Benützer: emeritamanansala

From Amsterdam to Innsbruck A scenic tour of Europe from Amsterdam's Amstel River thru the Rhein region into the Tyrolean Alps in Innsbruck. Highlight of the tour is a river cruise along the Rhein - between Bingen and Koblenz - declared a protected UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. The castles which are today such an unmistakable feature of the Rhein landscape date back to the Middle Ages. Their founders were feudal overlords, who built them to protect their lands from marauders and predatory neighbors. This accounts for the large number of castles along the Rhein, particularly in the narrow gorge connecting Bingen and Koblenz. Along this stretch of river, which has a length of only thirty-five miles, there are more castles than in any other river valley in the world. Lorelei Rock is squeezed into the river's narrowest and deepest point, making the Middle Rhine at this point very difficult to navigate and the correct passage is (today) clearly marked with buoys. The legend tells us that a siren called "Lorelei" bewitched the hearts of sailors and when they looked up to the rock, their boat crashed and sank. From the river, we traveled thru one of several 'themed' roads in Germany, one of its most famous vacation routes. The Romantic Road is a stunning 220-mile journey from the River Main to the Alps offering the traveler one of the most beautiful and engaging combinations of scenery, cuisine and ambience that Germany can offer. Finally, we reached Austrian Tyrol, a picture-book region of outstanding beauty, where jagged, snow-capped peaks tower above fast-flowing rivers, green meadows and onion-domed churches. The capital of Tyrol (it became Maximilian I's imperial capital in the 1490s), is now a most popular holiday destination. Innsbruck lies at the very heart of the Austrian Alps, with stunning scenery nestling in the valley of the Inn River, tucked between the northern Alps and the Tuxer mountain range. Tags: Bingen Rhein Castles Romantic Road Bavaria Germany Innsbruck Austria Amsterdam Travel log

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Mecca of the North - Pagudpud and Manaoag Its white-sand beaches and crystal-blue water make Pagudpud a haven for tourists. Aside from Saud Beach, Maira-Ira Point is also an emerging attraction with its secluded beach known as the Blue Lagoon. Access to this public beach is from a secondary concrete road on the north side of the Maharlika Highway just before approaching the Patapat Viaduct. On the way to the Blue Lagoon, a sea arch can be seen. Coconut trees line much of the town's coast. On a clear day, the Batanes Islands are visible from Patapat National Park. Considered the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines, Patapat Viaduct, elevated 31 meters over sea level, connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to the Cagayan Valley Region. It rises along the town's coastal mountains, which is the starting point of the Cordillera Mountain Range that snakes through Northern Luzon. Yearly, about a million devotees flock to Manaoag (in Pangasinan)some 205 kilometers north of Manila, home to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. Catholic devotees from across the country and even abroad visit the shrine periodically for retreat and to implore the Blessed Virgin Mary's intercession for blessings in life. In 2005, the shrine celebrated 400 years of Dominican evangelization through the Our Lady of the Rosary. The famous image of the Our Lady of Manaoag had made the local authorities clamor for the town's proclamation as a Special Pilgrimage City to make the place known as a major healing and religious center in the North. I took my balikbayan sister-in-law in early January 2005 to the northern region's besk kept secrets. Tags: Philippines Manaoag Pagudpud Saud Beach IlocosNorte Pangasinan BlueLagoon Maira-Ira Point Cape Bojeador Patapat viaduct

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Christmas Holidays in Vigan Vigan is where the Ilocos Region's myriad of cultures and histories converge to become a living museum of a spirited past - a shrine, a landmark, a heritage house, a garden filled with native burnay jars, a horse-drawn carriage (calesa), cobble-stoned streets, wide open beaches -- they all share space in the timeless land of Ilocos Sur. A long Christmas holiday is well spent here. Tags: Villa Angela Hidden Gardens Plaza Burgos Calle Crisologo Verzosa Vigan Ilocos Sur Philippines

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