Tagged With: architecture
Black & white Ljubljana
Along the river, tourists and locals can be found wandering and enjoying the cafes at all hours. But just by turning a corner, especially at night, I would suddenly find myself the only person around in a dead quiet street. It felt quiet and peaceful, never spooky or lonely, so it just seemed like a … Continue reading
The bridges of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Of the dozens of bridges that cross the Ljubljanica River as it winds its way through the heart of Slovenia's capital, four in particular are noteworthy. The Triple Bridge wasn't always a triple bridge. A stone arch bridge connected the two sides but became too congested with horses and people over time. In 1929, … Continue reading
Maribor, Slovenia
Maribor, in the northeast, is the second largest city in Slovenia after the capital. The Town Hall is located in the central square alongside a nice looking monument. Upon closer inspection, the column monument turned out to be the Plague Monument, dedicated to the memory of the 1/3 of the city's residents who died … Continue reading
Koper, Slovenia
Leaving Izola, I missed my train by about 10 minutes which meant I spent the morning walking around nearby Koper for a few hours. Koper is a larger version of Izola: a busy harbor, popular sunbathing spots, outdoor cafes, winding streets. The main difference is that since it's that much closer to Italy and is … Continue reading
Tunis, Tunisia
My first morning in Tunis, I got off the metro severely misinformed. This was the one and only time there was any space at all in the train! Every other time, the metro looked like a can of human sardines. I never got a photo of it, but usually there were a couple of … Continue reading
Kairouan, Tunisia
Visiting the walled coty of Kairouan 7 times is equal to visiting Mecca once. Known as Islam's 4th holiest city, Kairouan is not only religiously significant, it's also a beautiful place to explore. Zaouia Sidi Abid el-Ghariani (the Mausoleum of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani), built in the 14th century, was my first stop. It is … Continue reading
Dougga, Tunisia
It's hard to describe how striking Dougga was. I was completely unprepared for it. My Lonely Planet had said it was an impressive site of Roman ruins and it was just a couple of hours south of Tunis, so I decided to head down there and take a look. There was a bizarre incident on … Continue reading
Carthage, Tunisia
It's incredible how many layers of history are found in Carthage. It was originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC and flourished as an important trading post due to its prime location on the Mediterranean beginning in the 6th century BC. During the Punic wars, the Romans eventually destroyed and conquered Carthage … Continue reading
Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia
Visiting Sidi Bou Saïd, just a short ride north of Tunis on the commuter train, is like stepping into a postcard. With its crisp white buildings and bright blue doors and windows, everywhere you look is a photograph begging to be taken. There were at least twice as many Tunisians as tourists there, spending … Continue reading
Bruges
Bruges is every bit the cute fairy tale town I had expected. Aside from the masses of tourists, the only ugly thing in the whole town was the Ito Pavilion. When the city was named a European Capital of Culture in 2002, Toyo Ito's Pavilion was constructed, intending to link the past and present. I'll … Continue reading