Tag: museum

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Lisbon, Portugal – Additional Sights

Lisbon, Portugal – Additional Sights

On our last couple of days in Lisbon we went across the bowl[1]I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north. and visited the sights in and around the oldest part of the city, Alfama. Then after that we took the 15E Tram and visited Belém, the most important part of the city with respect to ports and its historical noteriety.

Alfama the Other City

This area includes the Moorish Castle of São Jorge and a number of the overlooks that the area enjoys. Of course, there is also Lisbon Cathedral, which actually looks like it might have been destroyed by the great 1755 earthquake and rebuilt afterwards, but the cathedral and area were largely spared from any damage due to that quake.

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, Lisbon and Porto are very busy ALL YEAR. It appears that since RyanAir has a HUB in Porto, everyone and his cousin comes to the area for at least the weekend and many for the entire week. This not doubt puts real stress on Porto, which I can not imagine during the summer when it is really hot and full of tourists.

Lisbon on the other hand is a larger city and can handle more people, however, it has the double wamy of having cruise ships dock as well. So expect the lower parts of Lisbon to be always crowded.

Some walk from the Chiado part of town, where our hotel was located, and across the promenade of R. Augusta, is a totally different part of the city, Alfama. Here you can find the Santa Apolónia train station; in fact, check any train ticket you have that travels to Porto or beyond, and you might notice that it might not be necessary to go all the way to Oriente train station, some of those trains actually start in Santa Apolónia.

If you walk the area it is quite steep, so be prepared, or for those less inclined to walk and climb, take an alternate mode of transportation like the 12E Tram, a Tuk-Tuk or the bus.

Church of Our Lady of Grace

The Church of Our Lady of Grace stands on top of one of the hills on this side of the city. It has a beautiful ceiling in the nave, but the altar is rather plain and typical among other churches we have seen.

Adjacent to the church is the Convent of Grace, which is temporarily being used as a modern art museum. However, it is nice just to drop in and see the fascinating Portuguese tiling that adorns the walls.

Castle of São Jorge

The Castle of São Jorge is a large Moorish castle with a commanding view of the overall area of Lisbon. It has a surrounding wall with a central castle and a number of amenities, including a cafe and a restaurant.

Though you can purchase tickets at the gate, we found the entire staff appeared to be very confused and we got numerous conflicting stories as to what was available, when and where we had to queue in line. We decided to purchase our tickets online, this was actually quicker and more convienent. However, we still had to stand in a line for about an hour, and it isn’t even tourist season, so bring your patience.

Church of Saint Vincent de Fora

The Church of Saint Vincent de Fora is actually pretty far from everything else, but still walkable. From the Church of Grace and some of the observations points, it can be easily seen in the distance, usually with the National Pantheon dome looming in the frame.

The interior is actually quite spartan and perhaps not worth the effort. However, for a fee you can enter other portions of the grounds like the sacristy, which is known to be far more opulent than the church itself. Having been in so many churches in the past few months, we decided to save our money and continue our travels.

Belém the Port City

Noted in history as the port from which Vasco da Gama departed for his adventures to India, this port town’s most noticeable attribute is it tower. But there is also the monastery, its cloister and the church, all of which represent fabulous examples of the late Gothic Portuguese Manueline style of architecture.

Jerónimos Monastery and the Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem

When you exit the tram the first thing you notice is the Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem across the street. Then the Jerónimos Monastery comes into view, as an extension to these architectural marvels.

Belém Tower

The Belém Tower, or more precisely, the Tower of Saint Vincent, stands just off shore and was actually a lighthouse in the past.

Restaurants

Rendez Vous

After we visited the Church of St. Vincent we stopped at a small restaurant along the way back called Rendez Vous. They have sort of an eclectic menu which probably does not appeal to everyone, but we found the food and wine very good and would commend the place to anyone looking for something a little different.

References

References
↑1 I note this because it is the lower flat portion of the city the rise gently to the north.
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Porto, Portugal – Another Look

Porto, Portugal – Another Look

After a dismal start and a break in the weather, we were able to explore the city of Porto a bit more rigorously. There are probably only a handful of streets that do not go up or down, so have your trekking legs prepared.

Vila Nova de Gaia – Duoro River – Porto, Portugal

São Bento Train Station

The inner city train station, and perhaps the original Porto Central Station, is the São Bento Train Station. Known for its tiled waiting hall, it is known now more for its artwork than for its use as a primary station; Campahnã having eclipsed it as the main train station now. Unfortunately, it is beset by a very large public works project outside at the moment, so access is through side entrances for the most part.

Praça da Ribeira

A scenic spot on the River Duoro in the center of the old city is the Praça da Ribeira. It has several pieces of art to enjoy and the Cube Fountain, which is surrounded by a myriad of restaurants and cafe tents. It is along the Cias de Ribeira or promenade where you can enjoy a nice walk, listen to music or just enjoy the river.

Luís I Bridge

Between the Praça da Ribeira, RibeiraDoPorto and the other side of the river, or Vila Nova de Gaia, is the Luís I Bridge, which was originally proposed by Gustave Eiffel, even though he did not win the competition to build it.

Vila Nova de Gaia

On the other side of the river is the area or civil parish of Vila Nova de Gaia. This prefecture or parish you can find many of the great port wine houses, such as Sandeman, Kopke and Warres to name a few. It also has a very nice river side promenade that can be enjoyed on a nice sunny day.

Churches

Our visit here continues with a few other churches, which we were unable to see the previous day.

Church Of Saint Anthony

A regular church by any measure, the church of St. Anthony does have a remarkable gilded altar, which would be the prize of any structure.

Carmo Church

Best known for its Portuguese tiled exterior, the Carmo Church sits on top of the hill next to the Lion Fountain and its park. The tiling on the outside is unfortunately covered with a gauze, no doubt to protect the surface of the tiles from prolonged exposure to the elements, so taking photographs at a distance is probably best.

The interior is nice and in the baroque style of churches. Its other claim to fame are the side altars depicting Christ in one form of tribulation or another.

The Hidden House

Between the Carmo Church and the Church of the Carmelites is the Hidden House. A four story structure built between the two to prevent the appearance of impropriety, though it has had other uses throughout its 250 years.

The Museum

The museum of the Carmo Church houses the typical treasure and other important items used and passed down by the church through the years. There are some things of note, like the collection of hands, as well as other peculiar things that have to be seen to believe.

Restaurants and Cafes

The restaurants and cafes in Porto come in clusters, perhaps due to it being a tourist hot spot. They seem to line most of the more important streets and more heavily trafficked areas.

Casa Deolinda

A good spot for lunch would be the Casa Deolinda right within the Praça da Ribeira. We actually felt more compelled to eat here only due to the weather, but we were not disappointed. The food was good and the service was above what we had experienced in other places. The prices were not too bad either, considering its location.

The weather too, did not disappoint.

Fabrica da Nata Cafe

Known for its Portuguese Nata, or Pastel de Nata, are a custard cream delight found at Fabrica da Nata. There is a special little room within the cafe where they prepare these treats inside a glass enclosure. The cappuccino in Portugal is bit different from its Italian parent, it has more milk and is usually not as strong.

Popina Restaurant

On the smaller scale, if you are looking for an authentic Portuguese adventure in cuisine, look no further than Popina. They have classic dishes here that are served like appetizers and are meant to be shared, so think family-style in a way. You select several items from the menu, all of which are brought out when they are ready, and them divide them accordingly. The order in which they are brought out though can appear a bit confused and disorderly, but bear with the process and you should not be disappointed.

Popina Restaurant – Entrance – Porto, Portugal
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Porto, Portugal – Our Rainy Start

Porto, Portugal – Our Rainy Start

Wanting to visit Porto, after hearing such good things about the city from family and friends, we decided to book a trip during the off season, March in fact. Our Tickets For Two were of course electronic, so no photographs of them, sorry.

Getting There

From Turin there are two direct flights twice weekly to Porto, Portugal with RyanAir, which is also a designated hub of this carrier. Two weeks ago we booked our stays and flights, well knowing the weather during this time of year is very undependable, it did not disappoint.

The flight was a little over two hours and left in the evening, in fact all the flights on Mondays and Fridays between these two cities are evening flights. We left around 6:30PM and arrived a little after 9:00PM, but it is actually 8:00PM local time, since you gain an hour.

Our arrival was bumpy and wet, so after we arrived, Patti and I decided to take a taxi instead of the metro. It was a good decision, first it only cost us thirty Euros and second, it was pouring out; so getting door to door service was very helpful.

Carris Hotel Ribiera

The Carris Hotel Ribiera in Porto is no doubt a collection of a few building that have been extensively renovated. It is close to the water and midway down the river embankment, so no matter which was you walk there will be a hill.

The accommodations are modern enough, though there are a few oddities and some unpleasant things, for one the bed in the room was very hard. Another unfortunate oversight, the safe provided in the room is not bolted to the wall or closet, so anyone can easily just pick it up with all of your possessions and leave the room; we therefore chose not to use it.

Porto – The City

The city of Porto, or Oporto, may pose difficulties for some. For one it essentially lays on the very steep banks of the River Douro, which has its source deep in central Spain, and therefore is very hilly.

The city is known for its buildings having tiled facades, as well as many of its famous buildings, like the Sao Bento train station and its churches and cathedral.

Churches and Cathedrals

There are many churches and cathedrals in the city, some are free to enter, others have been repurposed and charge a fee.

Parish Church of St. Nicholas

The Parish Church of Saint Nicholas was the first church we visited. We were stuck by its tiled exterior. The interior has an amazing golden altar with a painting of a scene after the crucifixion.

Church of Saint Francis

The Church of Saint Francis is without a doubt, one of the most  beautiful churches we have been lucky enough to visit. Almost the entire interior is decorated with carved wooden and gilded ornamentation depicting all different scenes from Catholicism.

The Church Museum

The museum houses an impressive collection of church artifacts and treasures, it is probably worth the reasonable cost of entry alone.

The Crypt

One of the more extensive crypts we have seen. It also has a peculiar floor that has removable panels, no doubt for easy access to the remains in place in each sarcophagus.

Porto Cathedral

Ostensibly the Porto Cathedral is crowning jewel of the church in the city, however we did not find it as interesting as St. Francis. There are several self-guided tours to chose from, including the Bishop’s quarters which we decided against. However, the rest of the grounds are interesting, if only for the tile work, or Azulejo, for which the cathedral and most of the city is so keenly known.

Clerigos Church

Though we did not go in, there is a fee to enter, we enjoyed the church from the street. It wasn’t really clear from our research that it was particularly known for anything, so we decided to skip this church.

Torre Dos Clerigos

Likewise, the clock tower associated with it looks impressive from the street and probably has some interesting points inside, however, again we chose not to indulge on paying for entry, since we had no inclination for climbing the stairs to the top, we had already seen an overview of the city from other vantage points.

Restaurants and Cafes

Most restaurants and cafes in Porto are small, actually very small, and you will be lucky to find a place to sit down if you are not lucky or willing to wait. For dinner it is always best to make a reservation, almost all restaurants take and honor them, though some may restrict the amount of time you may keep you table.

Forno Velho

This restaurant is part of the Carris Hotel Ribiera in Porto and serves a limited, but very good selection of food from their menu. We ate here because it was late, around 9:30PM and raining outside. Though they do get a premium price for their entrees, the food was very good and well prepared, and we received a fifteen percent discount on our bill.

Rocinha Cafe

On our first morning in Porto we ate at the Rocinha Cafe, which lies around the corner on the same block as our hotel. It offered an English Breakfast for ten Euros each, and we were able to substitute our cappuccinos as our beverage of choice, so our total bill was twenty Euros.

A Bifana Portuguesa Restaurant

For lunch we ate at A Bifana Portuguesa Restaurant. This establishment is obviously owned by an owner of a vineyard or larger farm in the area, since they have a particular brand of wine. Expect good food with a paced, if not slow service, since there is only one server and one cook. Oh, and if they bring out hot sauce that has an eye-dropper in it, it most definitely serious stuff, so administer appropriately on your dish.

Incontro Bistro

If you are looking for a small traditional Italian dinner look no further than Incontro Bistro, it is essentially a hole in the wall with a kitchen and seven tables. We sat next to the kitchen and had a wonderful time enjoying the cacophony and smells. The only one thing to point would be they only serve macaroni pasta, no long pasta, so you have to choose from one of those.

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Lecce, Italy – Trains!

Lecce, Italy – Trains!

Anyone who has ever had an interest in trains, or perhaps would just enjoy a trip down memory lane, the Museo Ferroviario dell Puglia might be the place to stop on a lazy day during vacation or the weekend.

Museo Ferroviario della Puglia

Located in Lecce is the Museo Ferroviario della Puglia, or the Train Museum of Puglia. The museum has an extensive collection of period photographs, models and dioramas which reconstruct the evolution of the carriage compartment and other railroad memorabilia from 1937 onwards. From the first nineteenth century carriages with their steam locomotives, which were very similar to the old stagecoaches, the visitor enjoys a tour through railroad history. With displays on the Trans European Express (TEE), there are not only Italian examples of carriages, locomotives and communication history, but also examples from other European countries. There is also a brief display on the development of public railroads in America, before they were forced to their demise by politicians beholding to the automobile and oil industries, never to recover. The entrance fee is 5€ per person and worth every Euro. It took a little over an hour to complete the tour, stopping for photographs and reading many of the displays.

Warning: The opening and closing times for this museum may vary, so check to make sure you have plenty of time to get there before you try to go. The staff close the doors a little under an hour before the posted closing time and will not entertain any new visitors, so get there early or well within the closing time posted, or you will be turned away!

 

The Building And Sheds

The building where the museum is housed were former workshops of the Squadra Rialzo, or State Railways. These were in full operation until 1992 when their functions were transferred to newer facilities in Surbo Scalo.

In the workshop, customary maintenance was performed on all carriages, locomotives and freight wagons at the time. Its name is derived from the fact that maintenance for the rolling stocks of the trains were actually carried out here for all axles, wheels, in addition to the carriage bodies and their contents. The current facility consists of two sheds, the first erected in the 1930s, the second with the trusses was built later, sometime in the 1970s. Both were used for numerous purposes, including offices, warehouse stocks, carpentry, forge, upholstery and heating systems. The yard had accommodation to raise wheel sets with a hoist, so that they may be reconditioned and maintained.

The Story

There is a long exhibit that details the history promised in the introduction. Taking you through the stages of evolution of the twentieth century train system in Italy. There are numerous boards to read, posters and model carriages to see along the first stage of the exhibits.

The Carriages, Locomotives and other Railcars

There are life size exhibits of some of the carriages, freight cars, locomotives and other vehicles, some of which you can actually enter.

Dioramas and other Models

In the later stages of the exhibits, there are numerous large train models, electrified train sets and other dioramas to enjoy. The scale of some of the train sets is impressive and one can immerse oneself in their activity for quite some time.

Railroad Communications, Equipment and Forgery

There is a fairly large display on railroad communications from the mid to later twentieth century. Multiple versions of telephony equipment, switch control rooms and even maintenance shops with an old forge.

The Museo Ferroviario della Puglia, or Railway Museum of Puglia, is located on Via G. Codacci Pisanelli 3 in Lecce. From the entrance of the castle, it is probably a twenty-five to thirty minute walk along Viale Francesco Lo Re under the railroad underpass and to the right; it is located behind the existing train station of Lecce.

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Lecce, Italy – Florence of the South – Part One

Lecce, Italy – Florence of the South – Part One

The second largest city in Apulia is called Lecce and is located on the Salentine Peninsula of Italy. It is rich in Baroque architecture, most of which is in the form of Lecce limestone and is often referred to as the Florence of the South. It one of the oldest settlements in southern Italy, with activity dating back to neolithic times.

Getting There

From Brindisis, or most other larger towns and cities on the east coast of Mezzogiorno, the FrecciaArgento is perhaps to quickest way to arrive. From Brindisi it is a short twenty three minute ride, a bit longer on the regional trains.

The City

Lecce is a typical ancient city which was at one time circumscribed with a protective wall with three main gates. The streets in the old Città Vecchia, or old history city, are narrow and mostly paved with stones.

The government here must be very careful of the city center, since it appears to have mitigated much of the traffic you would normally find in other similar cities of this size, making pedestrian traffic all that more enjoyable.

Ports, Gates, Columns And Castles

There are numerous ports, gates, columns and obelisks in Lecce. These are spread out all of the city and are well labeled on most maps. The Triumphal Arch, or Porta Napoli, is the largest and one of the three gates to enter the Città Vecchia.

There is also the Porta San Biagio and a smaller one called the Arco di Prato, or Arch of Prato, which is somewhat hidden away within the narrow city streets.

The Obelisk of Terra d’Otranto can be seen close to the Porta Napoli and is rather tall. It was erected in 1822 in honor of one of the rulers of the Two Sicilies. On the other side of town one can find the War Memorial for soldiers lost in war.

In the Piazza Saint Oronzo you will find the Colonna di Sant’Oronzo, or the Column of Saint Oronzo. It is a tall pedestal with Saint Oronzo on top. The column itself was assembled from pieces of the one that fell apart in Brindisi in the mid sixteenth century, its twin can be found near the port of that city.

The Castello de Carlo V, or Castle of Charles V sits on the eastern edge of the historic city and below the Giuseppe Garibaldi Public Gardens. It is a large structure and tours are offered, all of which are guided, so you cannot tour the grounds unaccompanied. A short walk from there you will the public park or gardens, which is always a good stop to rest your feet after a few hours of walking.

Roman Ruins

Lecce has in its old historic city not one, but two Roman amphitheaters. Unfortunately for us, both were being restored while we visited and photography was very difficult in both cases.

Where We Stayed

For the second time on this trip we have booked a Bed and Breakfast. I still cannot say I am fan, but there are times when alternatives to hotels may make a better fit. However, we only commit to such alternatives directly and after thorough research.

L’Orangerie d’Epoque

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast called L’Orangerie d’Epoque on Viale Francesco Lo Re near the Porta San Biagio. A rather large building with a central portico that appears to have one owner.

Our room was on the ground floor with its own entrance to the portico. The entryway has a beautiful mosaic tiled floor, reminiscent of ancient Rome or Pompeii.

The room was spacious, with a fireplace and split up into almost four equal parts. There was a large dining area by the entrance that flowed into a living room with several couches.

On the other side, there was another area with a television, breakfast table and then a bed with a desk for writing.

Restaurants

La Cucina di Mamma Elvira

This small restaurant has good food and wine at fairly reasonable prices. We actually went there late for lunch, around 14:40 and they still took our order and served us.

The service was very good and the menu had a decent choice of both local cuisine and other more general Italian items to chose.

I ordered the Eggplant Polpette in Ragu Sauce with Ricotta Cheese, an Insalata Mista (mixed salad) and the Orecchiette with re-milled Semolina with Scottona Red Ragu and Patti ordered the Ciceri and Tria Pasta and shared my Polpette. All the dishes were very good. The wine was Negroamaro from the region and it was very good, served by the glass. The desserts you can see below and the espresso was also very good, not bitter at all.

Miro Wine And Lounge

We stopped here for a drink and decided on a quick bite to eat, since we were both getting hungry and it was only a little passed eleven. We were actually surprised they were serving lunch.

While we waited, I ordered a glass of Negroamaro from Puglia, a very nice wine that reminds me of Barbera. They had a nice bean and cereal soup on the menu that Patti and I decided to try and it was magnificent.

Tranquillo

The restaurant Tranquillo is a more modern restaurant with two locations in Lecce, we chose the one located at Piazza Sant’Oronzo. The service and food were very good.

We dined late again at around 14:30, opting for a larger lunch and skipping dinner. We find this preferrable to eating again late in the evening and going to bed with a full stomach, something that we find does not lend itself to a good night sleep as we get older. I ordered the Apulian Bombette with Cheese on greens with a side order of Potato al Forno and Cicorie (Chickory), and Patti ordered the Cicorie on Pureed Fava Beans.

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Trani, Italy – Unexpected Delight

Trani, Italy – Unexpected Delight

On a lark, Patti decided to go to Trani, Italy for the day. The morning was clear, blue and fantastic, so we could not expect better weather.

Trani is a seaside town on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Apulia. It has great wine, olive oil and food. It has an active fishing community which supports the local economy.

The City

The city itself is well laid out, even for an ancient town. The historic center though windy and curvy is very clean and well labeled for tourist. After about an hour here we found it a most unexpected delight and were glad we came.

The Piazze Quercia has a least one cafe or bar which has outside seating. It is a great place in the spring to stop before lunch and get a drink. We find it relaxing just to watch the locals and the boats going in and out of the harbor, and of course, enjoying the sunshine and the fifty degree weather.

The Port Of Trani

There is a beautiful walkway or sidewalk that enables you to walk around the entire port. Unlike Bari, where you can do this if you can tolerate the smell, the port is clean and well maintained.

The fishing community appears to be active daily and some of the ships sell their catch right on the pier. You can find anything from live shrimp and fish to octopus. So, if you can cook in, bring your grocery bag and your wallet.

Parco Giochi Villa Comunale

The Parco Giochi Villa Comunale is located to the right of the Port of Trani as you walk as far as you can in the city. It has a portal that leads up to a great observation place, so that you get a commanding view of the boats and the jetties containing the lighthouses, which are all a different color.

There are some interesting monuments and an old anchor. Walking further, you will happen upon a aviary at the end of the park where they house parakeets.

We actually found it to be an amazing little park with little things to see, along with the aviary with parakeets they also have real parrots, which you will eventually notice are in the trees all around you. When we were here, they were all doing their crazy mating calls and dances on the ground, what a cacophony!

Basilica Cattedrale Maria Santissima Assunta

In the Piazza Duomo is the Basilica Cattedrale Maria Santissima Assunta, also known as Trani Cathedral. This cathedral is dedicated to Saint Nichola the Pilgrim. It is a very large structure, but it only opens later in the day around 15:30.

There are some restrictions when you enter, so please read the signs, though we saw no enforcement; having said that, it was winter and the slow season, so it may be impractical for them to oversee traffic during that time.

Castello Svevo di Trani

The Castello Svevo di Trani in just a small walk from the Piazza Duomo and Basilica Cattedrale Maria Santissima Assunta. There is actually not much to see, but it does have a few small things of interest. At one time it was a prison and had other incarnations as you go back in time to protect the town. It is also noted to have a large clock on its edifice.

Restaurants

Since we were only doing a day trip, we were only able to visit one restaurant and that was for lunch.

Giù a Sud, Green Bistro

The Giù a Sud, Green Bistrot is located at Piazza Cesare Battisti in Trani. After viewing the menu outside we decided we would give it a try and we are glad we did.

The food and restaurant is sourced locally from green producers and prepared using artisanal recipes. They had a bean and lentil soup with croutons which was just delicious. I am pretty sure it is probably something that comes off the menu in the summer, but you may ask, in Italy you never know, especially in Mezzogiorno. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Bari, Italy – Ancient City Wonder – Part Two

Bari An Ancient City Wonder

In part one was an initial take on how Bari is an ancient city built on a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy. In this second part, some of the cathedrals and museums that are interesting and available to see upon visiting are discussed.

Museums

Of course ancient Bari has its museums, most of which record activities by humans that predate the Roman Empire. In some places in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea, one might come to the conclusion, that if one could dig deep enough one would uncover the big bang as well.

The Svevo Castle

If the Bari peninsula were to be looked at like it was a triangle, then the Castello Normanno-Svevo or Norman-Swabian Castle, would occupy the entire lower left hand angle. It is a huge building that occupies a considerable amount of real estate on that side of the old city.

Surrounded by a moat that is currently grown in, the exterior appears well kept in spots, but requiring considerable work in other places.

The Swabian Castle Museum

The museum does not contain many artifacts per se, but it does have a very good multi-media presentation and displays in some of the larger spaces.

Churches and Cathedrals

Cathedral Of Bari

The Cathedral of Bari was built mostly in the last thirty years of the twelfth century. It was built on top of the destroyed Byzantine church that used to stand, as well as older Roman ruins.

The interior is rather majestic for an ancient Catholic church and owes much to the simplicity of its architecture.

The Crypt

The church, architect and builders ensured that below this amazing edifice would be a crypt. The crypt preserves the remains of Saint Sabinus in the main altar, but there are other notable sarcophagi as well.

The Archaeological Ruins

Alongside and even below the crypt are some amazing archaeological ruins that extend all the way back to the third century. This includes some incredible mosaics, frescos and even a partial roman road, where one can even see the remains of where the wagon wheels once traveled.

The Church Museum

Finally there is a small museum showing old church vestments and other relics. Not particularly of much interest, so if you wish to skip this part you probably can without much guilt.

Though having said that, the most interesting thing I though they had were a set of old hymnal parchment rolls.

Restaurants

Ciclatera

Ciclatera, under the sea is a great spot to stop for a drink or to have a small bite to eat. Located on the Lungomare right after the Fort of San Antonio, this little cafe or restaurant has a great bar and food menu. We only stopped for a drink, but what we could see of the menu, the prices seemed pretty reasonable.

Piccinni 28

Located one block over in Murat from the old city on via Niccola Piccinni, is Piccinni 28 Italian restaurant. It appears to be a favorite for locals, since we saw numerous work groups come in and have lunch.

They offer pizza and a typical Italian menu with some Apulian twists to it. For us, it was trying something new, so we of course picked the Spaghetti All’Assassina, or assassin’s spaghetti, an overcooked spicy dish with ragu that is rather tasty.

That along with a fine glass of wine and an Insalata Mista on top makes for a great lunch, enjoy!

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Chapel Hill, North Carolina – A Weekend Escape

Chapel Hill And The Carolina Inn

As a Christmas gift from our children, we recently had a weekend stay at the Carolina Inn in beautiful Chapel Hill, North Carlolina. Celebrating its one hundred year anniversary this year, this old colonial inn is an integral part of the town and the university.

Ideally located within walking distance to almost everything within the town, it is a good home base for those who would rather not get in and out of the car constantly. Within five or ten minutes, you can reach Franklin Street and its restaurants, cafes and shopping, and the college is just a stone’s throw away. Parking is $26/night for either self-park or valet service and the lot is attended overnight.

The UNC Campus

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dominates the town and gives Chapel Hill that old university town feel. As one walks through the grounds of the university, it is easy to see the different architectural and building styles that were adopted throughout the years.

The walkways are appointed with old style colonial lamps in many areas and in some areas it is possible to think of what it might have been like back in those times. The architectural wonders even extend to some of the fraternity houses and other ancillary buildings on the campus. The only other remarkable things of note are the massive and beautiful trees that line most of the streets, many of which probably have been around as long as the university itself.

Moorehead Planetarium

The Moorehead Planetarium is always a nice place to visit, especially if you have children. For a modest fee, you can enjoy both a planetarium show, as well as the museum, which also provides hands-on learning exhibits for younger visitors.

The most enjoyable part however is the planetarium itself. Although they were totally booked on the Saturday and we were unable to see a show with our small party of five, they did have opening for Super Bowl Sunday. So we were able to enjoy their wonderful presentation, “One Sky, Many Eyes”. Though totally automated now with computers and an updated projection system, I do miss the old planetarium projectors.

Ackland Art Museum

If you are ever in the area, I cannot think of a better place to spend a few hours of your afternoon than at the Ackland Museum. Frankly, for me it was a surprise and delight, the free admission making it even more so. Having nothing else to do on our somewhat rainy day and weekend, we decided to go after our quick stroll down Franklin Street (there are signs on the pavement on Franklin, so just follow them if you are not sure).

The exhibits are eclectic in way and a bit varied, but most somehow unexpectedly go together, perhaps owing to very good planning and the way the building splits into separate areas.

I found the mixed media video of the eyeball and voice over rather well done, strange and quite interesting. Shown on a sphere, it actually had that eyeball look.

The museum also has a nice collection of Indian, Southeast Asian and Indonesian Art. Some contemporary and others a bit older. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it and found it to be a total surprise, not expecting too much when we entered.

Restaurants

Chapel Hill offers a wide variety of restaurants. Most of the ones that populate the small area around Franklin street, cater to the university students, so you will find them somewhat budget friendly and internet centric. The more upscale restaurants, you will find further out of the main town and on the periphery.

TRU Cafe

A small cafe down Henderson Street, it has both inside and outside seating and definitely caters to the university students.

The service is very relaxed and all orders are done via their website, which at the time of this writing, was a nightmare and terrible. However, after only several attempts, we were all able to submit our orders. We were not surprised to learn later, that some of our orders did not come out and we had to re-ordered them; so, bring your patience with you. And no, they do NOT have their own phone application and no, the service people will not take your order.

Osteria Georgi

This small restaurant is situated on the corner of a small strip mall on South Elliot street and Franklin. They have both inside and outside seating and a fairly attentive staff. We sat outside, since it was tolerably warm out and it was packed inside; we didn’t want to catch anything before traveling back to Europe in the next few weeks.

The food was good, I ordered the lasagna which was very tasty and my wife order the Pasta Vongole. The Gattinara was excellent and I would commend it to anyone willing to try something a bit different.

Carolina Coffee Shop

The Carolina Coffee Shop says it is the oldest restaurant in town and is split in two, one side does only coffee and take-out, while the other offers a restaurant experience with full staff. Wanting the sit down experience, we tried the restaurant.

The sandwiches are very good and the service was timely. It can get busy during peak lunch hour, so if you are willing to wait a bit and eat later, the atmosphere is more relaxed and subdued.

IL Palio Restaurant

One of our old-time favorites is the Il Palio in Chapel Hill. Located in the Siena Hotel, this restaurant usually features exceptional service and even a piano player while you order and eat. Unfortunately, we were there on Super Bowl weekend so the service was limited to the outside bar area and there was no music.

However, that did not prevent us from having a good time and enjoying the excellent food that is provided by the kitchen staff. Additionally, compared with other places, the prices no longer look as inflated as perhaps in previous years.

We would like to thank our children for the gift, we had a wonderful time. It was a great gift and being the travelers we are, we wouldn’t mind doing it again in a different town in North Carolina, if the occasion were to present itself.

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Budapest, Hungary – Lively Pest

Pest – Where The Real Life Is

Budapest is a very clean city, with a strange, almost quiescent nature to it. For the most part there is a noticeable absence of police, yet there appears to be very little crime, or at least the appearance of no crime, unlike other countries like Italy or France, where the authorities parade around with weapons and make their presence known.

The Pest side of Budapest has most, if not all, of the hotels and many of the restaurants. It has monuments on every corner and more history than you probably want to consume. Both sides are very active, but the Pest side is the side where all the boats dock, like Viking River Cruises and others, so it can get quite busy after ten o’clock in the morning.

Though beautiful, after a while you realize, like so many other cities in Europe, it’s all about the facade. It’s all brick underneath, mortar and stone.

Parliament Tour

For anyone visiting Budapest, the Parliament on the Pest side is an attraction that must be seen. However, be careful when purchasing tickets! There are a few official looking websites out there that purchase them for you at double the price. Check and double check your search engine and map application to ensure you have the official website. It will be quite obvious if you do, since you will receive your tickets immediately, instead of waiting for them to „appear“ in your mailbox.

Looking at the front of the building from the land side, you enter from the right and below ground. There are also some interesting monuments before you enter worth seeing, so keep your eyes open for them.

The tour is rather long but very thorough. We were even able to catch a glimpse of their unicameral legislature in-session! We were actually quite impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism of the tour. Though we thought they spoke at length, perhaps too long, about the crown jewels, which of course you were unable to photograph.

Restaurants

Here are a few more restaurants we visited in Budapest, one of which I wish I never went to due to social media idiots.

New York Cafe

There is a term in America and it is quite apropos here, „lipstick on a pig“. My thoughts regarding this cafe were that it was totally over-priced for the quality of food and service received, though the interior was quite impressive

In fact, that can be considered one of the downsides to this cafe; there were so many people mulling around and taking photographs, it was actually quite annoying at times. Especially in this day of social media, where everyone has to take the so called infamous and narcissistic „selfie“ or „influencer“ pose. It makes a person like me almost puke at times.

The food was sub-par for such a restaurant; we had the Pasta Pomodoro and thought although the pasta was done properly, the sauce tasted of nothing. The wine on the other hand was satisfactory in taste, but way over-priced at 50€/bottle. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except the service was just not so great.

Pick Bistro Deli

This little bistro, on Kossuth Lajos tér, is not far from the Parliament building and a great place to stop for lunch after your exhaustive tour.

They have many great Hungarian lunch items to choose from and the staff and service were excellent for us. They also have plenty of open-air seating, which during a warm day makes the visit all that much more enjoyable.

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Copenhagen, Denmark – Castles & Palaces

Like the British, the Danes are steeped in the tradition of a royal family. With Copenhagen as the capitol of the country, there are numerous castles and palaces that demonstrate the royal family’s hold on the country and its citizens and I guess their imaginations.

The Royal Family

The family owns, either directly or indirectly, three important landmarks within the city of Copenhagen that are castles or palaces. Much has been turned into museum or tourist attraction, no doubt to keep the family coffers full. Some, like Amalienborg, the royal residence, are guarded and entertain a changing of the guard show.

The Palaces

The are many palaces in Copenhagen, perhaps a bit too many to see in one trip. There are the Amalienborg – which contains four palaces, Christriansborg Palace which are right in town, but there is also Frederiksberg Palace and more further out from the city. If you are into grand buildings and royal history, these will probably be must-see spots.

Amalienborg

The current residence of the royal family is in Amalienborg. This palace occupies are large square in almost four city square blocks. It is divided into four distinct buildings with gardens, one of which is the Amalienborg Palace Museum, which may be visited. Each building is a palace in its own right, they are Christian VII’s Palace, Christian VIII’s Palace, Frederick VIII’s Palace and Christian IX’s Palace.

Amalienborg was once the location of two other palaces which either suffered greatly from fire, or burnt to the ground completely. Subsequent construction led to the building of the palaces we see today.

The museum is free to those who enter with a City Card, otherwise the entrance fee is kr.120 (appr. €16)/person. The museum is in a building adjacent to Christian VII’s Palace and has two floors that contain items from the living quarters of past and present royal family members. If you have any transcendent ideas about ownership or property, you may want to skip this museum. I too, had a difficult time understanding why anyone would want to collect that much stuff for personal use. But, I am probably in the minority.

Lastly, there is a collection of the royal medals and other accoutrements, here is a short slideshow on them.

Christiansborg Palace

Today, Christiansborg Palace not only houses museums and other tourist attractions, but it is also the seat of Danish Government. All three branches of government are represented in the Palace. The palace contains horse stables, an old kitchen and the royal reception rooms, all of which can be visited free with the City Card, or kr.155 (about €9)/person.

Originally constructed as Absalon’s Castle, it has been sacked, demolished and burnt to the ground numerous times. In fact, on one occasion it was dismantled brick by brick. Nevertheless, the Danes have always rebuilt some palace structure here, no doubt a testament to their fortitude. To date, there have been at least five reincarnations of the structure. The basement contains an archeological site showing the ancient remains for the first palace and perhaps foundations of even older structures.

The palace contains amazing chandeliers and ceiling details. The following slideshow provides a good overall walk-through of the palace.

You may also see the old Royal Kitchen, which frankly you can skip. We visited only because we had the City Card and it was free.

The Castles

Be aware, some venues require that you book a time slot, even if you have a City Card. This can be done online, or by showing up at the ticket office and scheduling your visit. The City Card does explain this on the venue’s information site if you click on it.

Rosenborg Castle

As far as castles go, Rosenborg Castle is a fairly small one on the northwest edge of King’s Garden. It was built in Danish Renaissance style in the 1600s as a summer place for King Frederik IV.

The building has very elaborate ceilings, some of which appear to be in the Rococo style.

Of particular interest is the Danish Throne Chair with the three stately lions in front. The chairs are on the third floor on what used to be called the “Long Hall”, it is now called the “King’s Hall”.

There are also several timepieces and at least one Astrolabe of special note.

The rest may be enjoyed in the following slideshow.

King’s Gardens

The castle also has the “King’s Garden”, a complex of garden paths and interesting things to see that the former residence could enjoy.

Restaurants

On The Sunny Side Italian Restaurant

A very good Italian restaurant on the Nyhavn canal which offers good food and has a decent wine list. A bit pricey, but you are on the canal, and what isn’t pricey in Copenhagen?

Fredco’s Deli

A very small establishment on Grønnegade street which provides a very reasonably priced lunch menu that does include salads. Here you can select from a variety of things for your salad, including dressings. Though a bit on the basic side, if you are tired of eating meat based meals every time you sit down, this might be the stop for you. The interior is in the basement and is very utilitarian in look and feel, but you should be able to find a place to sit and enjoy your lunch.