I have come from the north of Italy down to the south, into the heel if you know your geography. I am in Lecce. Nicknamed the Florence of the south, it’s a small city I have been wanting to come to for a while. It has a historical centre full of winding alleys and roads and you never really know what is around the next corner. The local limestone has been used to build and be carved into the most beautiful buildings. This is full on Baroque.
Continuing on exploring the grandeur of Turin. While I won’t get to all 14 of the residences from the Royal house of Savoy in the area, I did make out to one of the more opulent palaces and gardens. It was a short train ride away from Porta Susa, the train station I find I…
A quick train ride from Bari (and a seven minute train ride between each other) are the seaside towns of Monopoli (no relation to the game) and Polignano ad Mare. Monopoli has that port / fishing village feel. Great buildings and narrow streets to wander. Less expected was Monopoli’s cathedral. It was a masterpiece of…
I’ve heard about both Saint-Germain-des-Pres and Jardins Luxembourg for a long time so it was great to have a chance to visit both. The equally large and beautiful Saint Sulpice. Dropping by Montparnasse cemetery to see the graves of famous philosophers Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. and Concorde Metro station where the Declaration…
Two different galleries – both for shopping rather than art. Starting with Gallerie Vivienne a covered set of shops dating back to 1826. Next up, Galleries Lafayette, probably the largest department store known outside France. I took a guided tour that allowed access an hour before the store opened to learn all about the history…
A former railway, turned into park, two and a half stories above ground. Just across the river near the Gare D’Austrelitz is this interesting building. Though the clouds were rolling in, there was still some time in the afternoon to get a few external shots of the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens.
