Photography & travel

EGYPT – Cairo

Do you remember the candyfloss pop song ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ from the Bangles in 1986? Well they should make one about the insane driving skills in Cairo.The road markings to indicate the lanes are a waste of paint in Cairo. If three lanes are provided, the drivers will make it four, or five. Depending on their driving skills. Many roads lack dotted lines, but that is not a problem. Navigating from left to right w/o using indicators feels even more organic. Call it orchestrated chaos. Every Uber driver we had played it along masterfully.And to top it all off, …

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EGYPT – Pyramids

The Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu (Cheops) second King of Egypt’s 4th dynasty,feels overwhelming when you stand next to it.Especially when you are almost alone. We were waiting at 7 am for the local entrance to open. [a tip from another blogger]So we didn’t go through the main entrance like most visitors do. It was pleasantly quiet and we still had time to enjoy a Turkish coffee from a nearby small coffee shop. You can hop on a tour bus and let you drive around, but then you miss out on a large part of the experience. And that …

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EGYPT – GEM#2

Next to the main museum you have a second building which houses a remarkably preserved 43-meter-long solar boat, discovered beside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Ancient Egyptians believed these boats transported pharaohs through the afterlife, offering a glimpse into their spiritual beliefs and funerary practices. King Khufu’s Solar Boat was discovered in 1954 by Egyptian archeologist Kamal el-Mallakh at the foot of the Great Pyramid.The boat was hidden under the sand in a sealed pit. Kamal suspected that there was another boat hidden somewhere. And he was right. It took more than ten years to reassemble the first boat, weighing …

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EGYPT – GEM#1

The Grand Egyptian museum or GEM is indeed a gem in capital letters. Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects from Ireland and constructed by the Belgian based company Besix together with Orascom Construction PLC based in Egypt.From the outside the building is massive but once inside it doesn’t feel that way.The atmosphere feels intimate and airy, thanks to the triangular alabaster window at the top of the entrance that transform the bright sunlight into a satin-like glow.First thing you notice when you enter the Grand Hall is the red granite statue of King Ramesses II. Weighing 87 tons and with a …

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WIEN day#3

Our third and final day in Vienna, a trip which isn’t complete without a visit to the Wiener Staatsoper. We did not attend a performance, but enjoyed a guided tour of the opera house itself. Our guide did a wonderful job.When you wander through the corridors, you automatically start to imagine what it must have been like at the opening in 1869. Everyone dressed in late 19th-century fashion. Woman in wide skirts and large sleeves with their waist constricted in a restrictive corset. Men in beautiful wool costumes with exquisite tailoring and refined details. Maybe we should go back and …

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WIEN day#2

Our second day in Vienna and it’s a sunny one. Perfect for exploring the city at our own pace, walking.I forgot to note down the #steps we did that day. But if you start the day at Margareten, walk to Belevedere 21 & Belvedere Schloss, continue to Hundertwasserhaus and follow the Donau canal-Wienfluss with a lunch break at Plachutta Wollzeile, enjoy the view of Domkirche St. Stephan, next Peterskirch, Hofburg and Marie-Theresien-Platz with a quick stop at Wiener Secession, a drink at Naschmarkt and continue on Rechte Wienzeile to our hotel, this means more daily steps than what is prescribed …

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WIEN day#1

Are you fascinated by history and do you love Baroque architecture? Do you enjoy classical music? Do you like to catch an opera now and then? If you answer ‘yes’ it sounds like you might be a culture vulture. That’s exactly what our family friends thought, which is why they gave us a gift voucher from Music & Opera so we could pick one to our liking. The big question was: “which opera should we go to”? Actually, it wasn’t a difficult choice: to the cradle of opera, of course. Vienna here we come! After we stored our luggage at …

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ITALY – Basilicata – Matera

Matera, the city of caves. Not located in Puglia but just outside it in the province of Basilicata. The Puglia administration would very much like it to be part of their region. But that is a political matter.Matera is famous for its so-called Sassi or cave houses. Since 1993 it is named an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rightly so. The story goes that the rocks on the site where Matera now stands have served as shelters for monks who fled the Byzantine Empire since the eighth century. They started carving cave dwellings into the lime stone cliffs. Some parts …

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ITALY – Puglia – Taranto

Our next stop was Grottaglie. But before we got there, we wanted to visit Taranto first. We took the coastal road from Gallipoli, passing the Porto Selvaggio e Palude del Capitano nature park, part of which was on fire, Porto Cesareo, Punta Prosciutto and Mandurio. We arrived mid after noon. It’s only 100 km, but because we took the scenic route, it quickly turned into a 3,5-hour drive. But it was worth it, and besides, it’s our holiday. Taranto consists of two parts. There is the new part and the old historic centre, which is actually a small island (0,31km2 …

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ITALY – Puglia – Lecce

Lecce is sometimes referred to as the Florence of the South.I can see why. Of course, it is not Florence, but it does have a certain charm. Lecce is also smaller, but it has equally beautiful squares and Baroque architecture. The old town is particularly beautiful. The basilica, the Roman theatre, Palazzo dei Celestini, the charming alleys and terraces. Here too, they seem to be suffering from overtourism, just like in Rome, Barcelona, Pisa, etc.Of course, we are also a small part of the problem. But we travel independently and are no ‘cruise tourists’ who only visit the planned or …

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