Venice-5 Things Not to Miss
Venice is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with its large collection of beautiful churches, museums and the world famous canals and the awesome experience of travelling leisurely on a boat enjoying the magnificent views the city has to offer. Founded fifteen hundred years ago on a cluster of mudflats in the centre of the lagoon, Venice rose to become Europes main trading post between the West and the East. Cohabiting with the ocean, Venice has a closer relationship to nature than most cities, but at the same time its one of the most artificial places on earth. Here is my pick of 5 things not to miss when you go to Venice.
The Basilica di San Marco
San Marco is the most exotic of Europes cathedrals and one of the most visited ones. The combination of ancient structure and later decorations is, to a great extent, what makes San Marco so bewildering.The Gothic arches and carvings on the roofline of the main facade are not what you would expect to see on top of squat, rounded Byzantine arches, and the garish seventeenth to nineteenth-century mosaics that dominate this front must be the worst aesthetic mismatch in all Italy. But this exactly is what makes this church a perplexing architectural miracle.
The porphyry figures of the Tetrarchs and the horses of San Marco. The Main facade, the North and South facades. On the main facade, the only mosaic to survive is the scene above the Porta di Sant Alipio, The Arrival of the Body of St Mark.
The Accademia
You can see one of Europes finest specialized art collections in the famous Gallerie dell Accademia. San Along with Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, the Accademia completes the triad of obligatory tourist sights in Venice. The icon-like Byzantine influenced figures of Paolo Veneziano, works by Giovanni Bellini, Cima da Conegliano and Vittore Carpaccio forms the priceless collection of this gallery. Carpaccios strange Crucifixion and Glorification of the Ten Thousand Martyrs of Mount Ararat is the most gruesome painting here. Works from the Italian giants Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese also finds space here.
This gallery houses works from two of Venices most significant artistic dynasties, the Vivarini and Bellini families.Giovanni Bellini is represented by the intense portrait of The Blessed Lorenzo Giustinian, while Vivarini by the Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, John the Baptist,Dominic and Peter. Another remarkable work here is Carpaccios Story of St Ursula, painted for the Scuola di Sant Orsola at San Zanipolo.
San Giorgio Maggiore
Lets move to see one of the most fabulous views of Venice. Palladios church of San Giorgio Maggiore facing the Palazzo Ducale across the Bacino di San Marco, is one of the most prominent and familiar of all Venetian landmarks. It is a startling building, whose isolation almost forces you to have an opinion as to its architectural merits. The Venetians were the first to cover church interiors with white stucco, and the technique is used to dazzling effect in San Giorgio.
The most compelling feature of this building is the campanile, which stands on the churchs summit. The San Giorgio campanile surpasses that of San Marco as the best vantage point in Venice, because it has the advantage of being slightly detached from the main part of the city, giving you a panorama that includes many of the canals and magnificent buildings.
Possagno
My fourth pick is the famous sculpture habitat Possagno. As you approach Possagno, a small town lodged at the base of Monte Grappa, one of the strangest sights in the Veneto hits you a huge temple that rises above the houses like a displaced chunk of ancient Rome. It was built by Antonio Canova, one of the dominant figures of Neoclassicism and the last Italian sculptor to be generally regarded as the most accomplished living practitioner of his art. Shortly after Canovas death in 1822, all the working models that had accumulated in his studio in Rome were transported to Possagno, and here, an annexe (the Gipsoteca) was built onto the Canova house for the display of the bulk of the collection.
Canovas range will make surprise you because of its variety. You will find portraits, images of classical heroes, the funerary monument for Maria Christina of Austria, and a large Deposition, a bronze version of which is to be found in the Tempio. Canovas skill in depicting the intense feelings is brought to light by two overpowering tableaux of violence, each over 3m high, Hercules and Lichas and Theseus and the Centaur , while the adjoining room, tastefully added in 1957 by Carlo Scarpa, displays a more intimate and even erotic side, including a Sleeping Nymph and the famous Graces.
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Venice is underendowed with paintings by Titian, its most illustrious artist.Apart from the Accademia and the Salute, the Frari is the only building in Venice with more than a single first-rate work by him.
Titians Assumption ,is well places for us to see as we look towards the high altar through the monks choir. A piece of compositional and colouristic bravura for which there was no precedent in Venetian art, no previous altarpiece had emphasized the vertical axis over the horizontal.
The Assumption, nevertheless fits its surroundings perfectly. The spiralling motion of the Apostles and the Virgin complements the vertical movement of the surrounding architecture, an integration that is strengthened by the coincidence between the division of the paintings two major groupings and the division of the windows in the chancel. The other Titian masterpiece here, the Madonna di Ca Pesaro was equally innovative in its displacement of the figure of the Virgin from the centre of the picture.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We at 1000lonelyplaces.com truly believe in this statement and through our blog, we strive to inspire people all over the world to travel. You can find unexplored travel destinations, holiday hotspots, luxury resorts, spas, travel tips and much more in our blog. For more travel information and a free travel e-book visit http://www.1000lonelyplaces.com/
Cat Island Bahamas, A Lonely Paradise for Honeymooners
Cat Island is a slender 48-mile-long boot-shaped slice in Bahamas, no more than four miles wide at any one point until it reaches the sole in the far south, where its width triples. Lush and hilly by Bahamian standards, Cat has some of the best soil for farming in the Bahamas, and consequently boasts more vegetation and animal life than other islands. Life remains quiet here most days, though things can heat up during the Cat Island Regatta in August, which attracts hundreds of yachters, and the boisterous Cat Island Music Festival in June, which celebrates homegrown rake n scrape folk music.
The geography
North to south, a single smooth and well-paved Queens Highway runs the length of the island. The southern end of the island presents great opportunities for diving, with steep underwater cliffs and offshore reefs, while the entire east coast, accessible only by dirt roads, offers a continuous strand of idyllic seaside, with hidden coves and rugged shores.The west coast, with its mud creeks and estuaries, is a fine bonefishing hideout.
South Cat is centred on New Bight, a relatively sprawling settlement two miles in length that serves as Cats administrative centre and is the gateway to the boot of Cat Island. North Cat is anchored by the charming settlement of Arthurs Town, the pre-Hollywood home of Sidney Poitier. The whole north coast is one continuous beach, though often fronted by dramatic steep cliffs and broken by isolated coves. There are several choice beaches on the island, starting with Fernandez Bay, just north of New Bight and an exquisite curve of white sand and turquoise sea in a sheltered cove. The Atlantic beaches are wilder, harder to reach, and home to big waves and high winds a tempting challenge for windsurfers and swimmers.
At the southern end of the island, Greenwood Beach is eight miles of gorgeous blush-coloured sand washed by crashing surf. Towering over the island terrain near New Bight, Mount Alvernia stands 206ft above sea level the highest point in the Bahamas and offers a sweeping view of the islands rolling terrain and coastline.
How to get there?
There are two airports on Cat Island, the small Arthurs Town Airport in the north and the more heavily used New Bight Airport servicing the south. As most accommodations are clustered towards the islands southern end, most visitors will want to land at the latter.
Diving and Watersports
While the Atlantic or north coast is storm-tossed, Cat Islands south coast, from Columbus Point in the east to Devils Point in the west, is one of the most spectacular diving sites in a region filled with impressive choices. Here along the coast, the reef wall begins at only around 50ft and drops off steeply into a variety of gulleys, chimneys, canyons and troughs. The best dive sites along the south shore include Black Coral Wall, The Maze, Vladys Reef, The Anchor, The Cut and The Cave.
One must-see for experienced divers is the Tartar Bank, an offshore pinnacle that does not so much feature coral as huge schools of pelagic triggerfish, many sharks, spadefish, barracuda, jacks and eagle rays. It lies sixteen miles southeast of Cat, a boat ride of at least 45 minutes, and the best time to dive it is November to January, though the weather can be wild.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We at 1000lonelyplaces.com truly believe in this statement and through our blog, we strive to inspire people all over the world to travel. You can find unexplored travel destinations, holiday hotspots, luxury resorts, spas, travel tips and much more in our blog. For more travel information and a free travel e-book visit http://www.1000lonelyplaces.com/
Top 5 Places to See in Moscow
Moscow is one of those beautiful European cities where one can experience a calm harmony of modernity and ancient cultural heritage.In this article we suggest you our picks of 5 must see places in Moscow.We are sure this will be a remarkable journey.
Bolshoy Theatre
Bolshoy Theatre is home to one of the oldest, and probably the most famous, ballet companies in the world. The first Bolshoy Theatre opened in Moscow in 1780 and presented masquerades, comedies and comic operas. It burnt down in 1805, but its successor was completed in 1825 to a design by Osip Bove and Andrey Mikhaylov.This building too was destroyed by fire, in 1853, but the essentials of its highly praised design were retained in Albert Kavos reconstruction of 1856.
The main features of the Theatre are given below
Beethoven Hall
This ornately decorated room was formerly known as the Imperial Foyer. It is now used for occasional chamber concerts and lectures. The stuccoed decoration on the ceiling includes approximately 3,000 rosettes and the walls are adorned with delicately embroidered panels of crimson silk.
Royal Box
Situated at the centre of the gallery, the royal box, hung with crimson velvet, is one of over 120 boxes. The imperial crown on its pediment was removed in the Soviet era but has now been restored.
Apollo in the Chariot of the Sun
This eye-catching sculpture by Pyotr Klodt, of the original 1825 building was retained by Albert Kavos. It depicts Apollo driving the chariot on which he carried the sun across the sky.
Red Square
Another big attraction of Moscow is the famous Red Square.the Red Square is approximately 500m in length, was also the setting for public announcements and executions during the period of Tsars. At its southern end, in front of St Basils Cathedral, there is a small circular dais,called Lobnoe Mesto, this is the platform from which the tsars and patriarchs would address the people.Today the square is used for a variety of cultural events, concerts, firework displays and other public occasions
St Basils Cathedral
Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate the capture of the Mongol stronghold of Kazan in 1552, St Basils Cathedral was completed in 1561. It is reputed to have been designed by the architect Postnik Yakovlev. According to legend, Ivan was so amazed at the beauty of his work that he had him blinded so that he would never be able to design anything as exquisite again. The church was officially called the Cathedral of the Intercession because the final siege of Kazan began on the Feast of the Intercession of the Virgin.The cathedrals design, which was inspired by traditional Russian timber architecture, is a riot of gables, tent roofs and twisting onion domes.
Domes
Following a fire in 1583 the original helmet-shaped cupolas were replaced by ribbed or faceted onion domes. It is only since 1670 that the domes have been painted many colours; at one time St Basils was white with golden domes. Running around the outside of the Central Chapel, the gallery connects it to the other eight chapels. It was roofed over at the end of the 17th century and the walls and ceilings were decorated with floral tiles in the late 18th century.
Kuskovo
Kuskovo was the country seat of one of Russia s wealthiest aristocratic families, the Sheremetevs. The present buildings were commissioned by Count Pyotr Sheremetev after his marriage to the heiress Varvara Cherkasskaya in 1743. Among their 200,000 serfs were the architects Fyodor Argunov and Aleksey Mironov who played a major role in Kuskovos construction, probably under the supervision of professional architect Karl Blank. Apart from the elaborate gardens,the main attraction is the two-storey wooden palace, completed in 1777. A ceramics museum, with a renowned collection of porcelain, occupies the Orangery.
Wooden Palace
Surprisingly, this Neo-Classical palace is made entirely of wood, plastered and painted to resemble stone. Carriage ramps sweep up to the main portico, which is emblazoned with the crest of the Sheremetev family
Orangery
With a central hall for dining and dancing, the Orangery was built in 1761 to 62. It is now a ceramics museum, based on the 18th to 19th-century porcelain collection of Aleksey Morozov. Pieces on show include Wedgwood, Meissen and items from various Russian factories.
Lenin Mausoleum
Following Lenins death in 1924, and against his wishes, it was decided to preserve the former Soviet leaders body for posterity. The body was embalmed and placed in a temporary wooden mausoleum in Red Square. Once it became clear that the embalming process had worked, Aleksey Shchusev designed the current mausoleum of a pyramid of cubes cut from red granite and black labradorite. Paying ones respects to Lenins remains was once akin to a religious experience, and queues used to trail all over Red Square.In 1993, however, the goose-stepping guard of honour was replaced by a lone militiaman and now the mausoleum attracts mostly tourists. There are rumours that Lenin will soon be moved elsewhere or buried.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We at 1000lonelyplaces.com truly believe in this statement and through our blog, we strive to inspire people all over the world to travel. You can find unexplored travel destinations, holiday hotspots, luxury resorts, spas, travel tips and much more in our blog. For more travel information and a free travel e-book visit http://www.1000lonelyplaces.com
5 Must See Places in Kremlin
The Old Russian town of Kremlin is a perfect feast to the eyes of an architecture lover. It offers you a variety of buildings exhibiting the beauty of old European architecture. The opulent palaces, the magnificent cathedrals, the majestic bell towers and much more are there for an art lover. Lets look at my pick of top 5 must see architectural beauties of Kremlin.
Ivan the Great Bell Tower
This elegant bell tower built in 1505 to 08 and designed by Marco Bon Friazin is my first pick. It takes its name from the Church of St Ivan Climacus, which stood on the site in the 14th century. The bell tower is called the Great because of its height.
The four-storey Assumption Belfry, with its single gilded dome, was built beside the bell tower by Petrok Maliy in 1532 to 43. It holds 21 bells, the largest of which, the 64- tonne Assumption Bell, traditionally tolled three times when the tsar died. Outside the bell tower is the enormous Tsar Bell. This is the largest in the world, it weighs over 200 tonnes and is a sight to see. This world famous bell attracts loads of tourists from around the globe every year.
Great Kremlin Palace
My second pick from Kremlins architectural collection is the Great Kremlin Palace.The Impressive 125m facade of this yellow and white palace is best admired from the Kremlin embankment, just outside the Kremlin walls. The Great Kremlin Palace was built to replace the 18th century Kremlin Palace. In 1837 Tsar Nicholas I commissioned the Great Kremlin Palace as the Moscow residence of the royal family, where they stayed when visiting from St Petersburg, then the capital. This Palace was designed by a team of architects led by Konstantin Ton, and it took 12 years to build. On the palaces ground floor are the luxurious private rooms of the royal family. The state chambers, on the first floor, include several vast ceremonial halls. The imposing St Georges Hall has white walls engraved in gold with the names of those awarded the Order of St George, one of Russias highest military decorations.
Trinity Tower
This tower takes its name from the Trinity Monastery of St Sergius, which once had a mission nearby. The towers Trinity Gate used to be the entrance for patriarchs and the tsars wives and daughters. Today it is one of only two that admit visitors from around the globe. The other is in the Borovitskaya Tower to the southwest. At 76 m high, the seven-storey Trinity Tower is the Kremlins tallest. It was built in 1495 to 99 and in 1516 was linked by a bridge over the Neglinnaya river to the Kutafya Tower. The river now runs underground and the Kutafya Tower is the sole survivor of the circle of towers that were originally built to defend the Kremlin walls.
Cathedral of the Annunciation
The Cathedral of the Annunciation is a wholly Russian architectural design. Commissioned by Ivan III in 1484 as a royal chapel, it stands be-side the Faceted Palace. The cathedral, built by architects from Pskov , originally had three domes and open galleries on all sides but, after a fire in 1547, the corner chapels were added and the galleries were enclosed. On the south facade is the Groznenskiy Porch, which was added by Ivan the Terrible. The whole of the interior of the cathedral, including the galleries, is painted with frescoes. Three of the greatest masters of icon painting in Russia contributed to the iconostasis, widely considered the finest in Russia. Theophanes the Greek painted the images of Christ, the Virgin and the Archangel Gabriel in the Deesis Tier, while the Icon of the Archangel Michael on this tier is attributed to Andrey Rublev, also several of the icons including The Annunciation and The Nativity were painted by Rublev. Most of the other icons in this tier, including the The Last Supper and The Crucifixion are the work of Prokhor Gorodetskiy.
Cathedral of the Archangel
This was the last of the great cathedrals in the Kremlin to be built. It was commissioned by Ivan III in 1505, shortly before his death. Designed by a Venetian architect, Aleviz Novyy, it is a skilful combination of Early-Russian and Italian Renaissance architecture.The most striking of the Italian features is the scallop shell motif underneath the zakomary gables.This site was the burial place for Moscows princes and tsars from 1340. The walls, pillars and domes of the cathedral are covered with superb frescoes painted in 1652 to 66 by a team of artists led by Semen Ushakov, the head of the icon workshop in the State Armoury. There are over 60 full-length idealized portraits of Russian rulers, as well as some striking images of the Archangel Michael,traditionally the protector of the rulers of early Moscow. The fresco in the cathedrals central cupola depicts the threefold nature of God. The Father holds the Son on his lap and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a white dove, hovers between them.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We at 1000lonelyplaces.com truly believe in this statement and through our blog, we strive to inspire people all over the world to travel. You can find unexplored travel destinations, holiday hotspots, luxury resorts, spas, travel tips and much more in our blog. For more travel information and a free travel e-book visit http://www.1000lonelyplaces.com/
Must see Museums in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the coolest cities of Europe and one of the most beautiful ones. Its an art lovers paradise. Amsterdam has something for everyone, honeymoon couples or lovers can just leisurely enjoy the incredibly beautiful calm city with lot of ancient European 17th century architecture partitioned by number of canals.
Transportation is best undertaken on foot or by bicycle barely breaking your sweat. Oldies also can have a peaceful time visiting the umpteen numbers of museums and old mansions. But the luckiest ones are the art lovers, they have come to one of their must see locations. You can have a look at the collections of most famous artists Europe has ever produced, the immortal Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt.
Amsterdam: The city
The city Amsterdam was originally built on the shores of the saltwater Zuiderzee, but centuries of land restoration projects and works changed the structure of the landscape itself and the saltwater Zuiderzee got separated from the sea by a dike and became a freshwater lake. Thus Amsterdam now borders the freshwater lake IJsselmeer.
The center of Amsterdam is shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded by four famous canals called the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. There is the world famous Red Light District, which consists of several canals and the side streets between them. As you might have already guessed, this area is famous for the prostitution business. You can see a lot of bars, adult shops, peep show bars in this region. A nice varied experience for a roaming maverick tourist.
Major attractions of Amsterdam
Van Gogh Museum
The Vincent van Gogh museum, Amsterdam houses the world’s largest collection of the works of the immortal Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. This museum holds over 200 paintings and 500 drawings of Van Gogh. Among the works are also drawings by Gauguin. If you have an appetite for culture and art, the van Gogh Museum is a must see sight for sure.
From his early work, the museum contains 700 artistic works and 850 letters. After moving to Paris in 1886, van Gogh entered an impressionist period, of which the museum contains a large collection. The most astounding thing about the collection here is the organization of the works. The entire collection is arranged chronologically from the first to last work, each representing a different phase of his life and work: The Netherlands, Paris, Arles, Saint-Remy and Auvers-sur-Oise. As you walk, you can clearly see the evolution of this master’s skill.
The masterpieces include the world famous The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, several Self Potraits of van Gogh, and much more.The Van Gogh Museum is situated in the Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, between the Rijks Museum and the Stdelijk Museum.
Rijks Museum
If you have not been to the RijksMuseum, you have not been to the soul of Amsterdam. Rijksmuseum (National Museum), set in its historic building, is the largest museum in the Netherlands. The museum is the largest in the size of its collections, its building, the budget and the number of staff employed. This museum holds masterpieces, furniture and beautiful jewelry and other stunning items. Also it holds some of the famous paintings by the world famous painters, Van Gogh and Rembrandt. If you visit this museum, make sure to see the Nightwatch by Rembrandt.
Anne Frank House
Another must visit place of Amsterdam is the Ann Frank Museum. Who hasn’t read the intense diary of Anne Frank? Hiding from the Nazis, she and her family lived in an annexed section of an apartment in Amsterdam for two years during the holocaust. In 1957, the house was donated to the Anne Frank Foundation and converted into a museum. A visit to this place will send chills through your spine. The museum contains films, the annexed area and the original notes of Anne Frank. A must see for anyone traveling to Amsterdam. The room used by Anne Frank is restored as such with all her books and photos pasted on the wall. The photos and the writings you find there will fill you with the horror and fear the Jews experienced during the holocaust period.
The Royal palace
The Netherlands are a monarchy and the Royal Palace is the official Royal residence. However, the Royal family (Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem Alexander) live in Hague. So the majestic royal palace now became one of the most famous tourist attractions of Amsterdam. The Royal palace holds a large collection of royal furniture, chandeliers and other exclusive items. It gives an indication of the opulent life which the monarchs have led during their prime time. This palace is a real treat to all the tourists coming to Amsterdam.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We at 1000lonelyplaces.com truly believe in this statement and through our blog, we strive to inspire people all over the world to travel. You can find unexplored travel destinations, holiday hotspots, luxury resorts, spas, travel tips and much more in our blog. For more travel information and a free travel e-book visit http://www.1000lonelyplaces.com/