The capital of Cyprus is a city with 2 characters, scars and divided by the green mile. South or Greek Cypriot part, has some fancy bars and lots of graffiti. The government invested to develop a district close to the green mile, but failed. Much of the shops & houses remain empty. Crossing the border is literary entering a different world.The north part, Turkish side, is much more alternative. Lot’s of atmosphere, ayran and – God knows why- plenty of lawyers.
In the shadow of no man’s land you can visit 2 ancient monuments.The Church of Saint Lazarus, a 9th century Byzantine church and the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque. Both symbols of the main religions in Cyprus. Pyla, 16 kms outside of Larnaca is a small village with a community center. From their rooftop terras you have a clear view over the area.Here we met a Cypriot who was victim of the country’s split.With a melancholic voice he told us that he was evicted of his house which was just in the middle of no man’s land. Because he’s a staff …
Visit Limassol by overcast weather. It looks diabolic!The combination of dark blue sky and charcoal sea is just perfect for some dramatic shots. Halloween atmosphere at is best. Arrived moments after some heavy showers the dim light conditions were a perfect setting. Limassol is developing at high pace. Probably due to the vaste amount of Russian inhabitants. And piles of black money.A positive note on investments, you can find plenty of restaurants & pubs with Belgian beer on tap!
News item on national television: “Opening of the 500m long suspension bridge in Switzerland.”This immediately made me search the WWW to look for some additional info. In a blink of an eye i knew, we have to do this! Checking my hiking boots i quickly realised i needed to do some shopping. Got some new Meindels, walking sticks & compass. During the hike those sticks proofed to be very handy. Booked dinner & 2 beds at Europa Hütte Randa because it will be a 2-day hike and we need a place to eat and get some sleep. All check boxes …
Do you like majestic & historic buildings? Well you won’t be disappointed when traveling to Italy. As a matter of fact when you are in one of the major cities those are the only type of buildings you wil see. Lift your head, look for the stars – no chance to see them because you’re inside a building – and you will be gifted with beautiful domes.
Firenze You don’t need to explore the Uffizi museum to see art. If you pay attention it is also possible to spot some on the streets. Like art of the street artist Blub. He surprises you with small blue coloured paintings of faces equipped with swimming goggles. He aims to make art more accessible to everyone.You can see more on his instagram account.
Bologna was actually not listed on our travel plans.Due to the bad weather conditions down south we decided to start hunting for some sun rays. As a result we ended up in a surprisingly lovely city. Even with rainy weather Bologna is recommended. Thanks to the covered sidewalks. I didn’t count them but believe me they’re myriad.
On the main land you will see plenty of Vespa’s or scooters, here you take a water taxi or Vaporetto. A perfect moment to meditate before & after you find yourself surrounded by other travellers. It’s one of the advantages when you don’t sleep on the main island. When twilight sets in the light turns to a silky blanket that covers the bay area with a velvet atmosphere.
Both islands in the bay of Venice, so surrounded by lots of water but not flooted by thousands of tourists. An excellent place to stay a couple nights and visit Venice, Murano, … True, not so close to the main attractions, but in return you will benefit of the beautiful views when you take the vaporetto!Promise me, you keep it a secret too ;-)
The moment you find yourself in the outskirts of Rome, that’s when you get a drizzle of the real Roman life. Tourist are a rare breed here, locals rule. Like in every major city this is an area with vivid murals. Cat lovers united will surely enjoy Romeow cat bistro.Build for the flurry, owned by the flurry. Or to say in their own words: “Questa è la nostra casa, noi viviamo qui progettando di conquistare il mondo.”