Another place in Paradise

Three miles from the ancient city of Ephesus lies the inviting and pristine Pamucak Beach.



Bringing refreshing cool breezes with beautiful landscapes.



A great moment to walk hand in hand with someone you love, enjoy the beauty and solitude and sound of the waves.

Our World

Watery Wednesday

PhotoHunt - Broken

These photos were captured during my hiking adventures at Ihlara Valley in Cappadocia last year. We spent a few hours hiking through the canyon and came across plenty of broken things in nature.



Much of the region of is composed of broken pieces of rocks following several eruptions of Mount Erciyes. This is also where the early Christians in the Byzantine period dug underground dwellings and churches into the hills to escape from the Romans.



It's quite common to see trees broken off everywhere on the trail, some have been uprooted by the strong wind and even fell on the opposite direction.



As we walked along, I found this broken ladder lying across the river with some broken woods scattered along the stream.



There are also branches and twigs hanging on the tree, almost broken off.

PhotoHunt

Wordless Wednesday - Alpine Plants

Innsbruck, Austria

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Heroes of Russian folk-tales

I came across a long stretch of fountains along the streets of Manege Square during my visit to Moscow. These fountains depict sculptures of Russian fairy-tale characters as sculpted by Zurab Tsereteli.


Like any other fountains found across Europe, the fountains are kept completely dry during winter months as water in the fountains turns into ice and could cause cracks and damage to the sculptures.

Each sculpture is totally intriguing and I love how the fountains are complemented by the brightly coloured mosaic tiles. Here are some sculptures inspired from the fairytale of Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov.


The firebird, a magical bird of light



The fisherman and the Golden fish



The fox and the bear with a lovely view of the Kremlin in the background.



Prince Ivan the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf



The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa

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PhotoHunt - High

High atop Mount Pilatus, Switzerland. We visited this place in autumn 2004.



We enjoyed the thrill of a breathtaking gondola ride for 30 mins. The view from the gondola provided an awesome view of the city of Lucerne and we were high up on the gondola when I took this picture.



At 7000 feet high above sea level, we were greeted by heavenly skies and incredible mountains as far as the eye could see.



This is a view of a gondola high up through the mountains. It looked scary but I was glad that I didn't see how steep the mountainside was before that.




Looking over the highest peak of Mount Pilatus. It's really high and really cold but moments like these take my breath away.

PhotoHunt

Wordless Wednesday - Quenching Thirst

Watery Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Vienna at night

One of the greatest moments I had in Vienna was wandering around the streets after dark. Just when I thought that Venice by night was a magical delight, Vienna was another fabulous European city that I fell in love instantly. It's been a very lovely vacation and we managed to see a lot of the city in 3 days.


With a reliable map in hand, it is easy to navigate and find your way around all the streets. If I remember correctly, this was captured at Innere Stadt, the old town of Vienna. The combination of music, atmosphere and lights on the street create a charming and an unforgettable experience, that I can clearly recall as I'm writing this post.


The people in the background added so much character to the atmosphere although I was wondering if the two people staring at the camera in the lower-left corner were happy when I was taking the picture.



I can't remember the name of this iconic building but it's one of my favourite night shots. I like how the structure is beautifully lit up against the dark sky.
* This particular building is Musikverein Concert Hall. Thanks to Traveling Hawk for sharing the information.



As pleasant as it is during the day, the city really comes alive at night. Looking across the road is Vienna State Opera on the left and the casino on the right.



One of the best things about window shopping in Vienna is the chance to see the attractive window displays where all the big names in luxury fashion can be found at Karntnerstrasse. This one is my favourite, I like how the mannequins strike an elegant pose for the crowds.



This was one of my favourite food stops while in Vienna. Nordsee is a German fast-food fish restaurant, but it's unlike any fast-food restaurant I had previously experienced. This restaurant is often crowded with diners and the food is not only cooked fresh, it's delicious and served piping hot in a relaxed, casual cafe.



As we made our way to the subway, we noticed people were relaxing the night away at an outdoor cafe outside Hotel Sacher and enjoying the famous Original Torte produced by the hotel. I had my share of two delightful tortes earlier in the afternoon too and it was a great feeling being able to sit there enjoying my cravings and the atmosphere was absolutely inviting, personal and welcoming.

Our World

PhotoHunt - Public square in Salzburg

The Alter Markt (Old market) is one of Salzburg's most prominent public squares.


We made our way to this place after visiting Salzburg Cathedral. We spend a few delightful hours here, wandering from one store to another.



The public square was constructed in the 13th century and it was mostly used for the weekly markets, and also for celebrations and festivals. Walking around the old town gives you a glimpse of the quaint buildings that they had in those days.



As we wandered along, we found a wide array of stalls selling all kinds of merchandise.



Fresh fruits and vegetables as far as the eye could see



A riot of colourful blooms that add cheer to the streets



It was interesting to look at the colourful display of goodies even if you were not buying anything.



We were there during Easter season and we found one of these amazing egg stores. The sights, sounds and smells of the Easter spirit just made you linger there and enjoy the season!


PhotoHunt

Autumn in Lucerne

Watery Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Salzburg Cathedral

When in Salzburg, it will be hard to miss the Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) which seems to dominate the skyline in the old town section of the city. With its imposing Baroque architecture and its amazing structures, I was awestruck by the glorious sight of the cathedral.


The cathedral was originally built in the year 774, but it has suffered a lot since that time, including a few fires. The cathedral that you can see today was built in the 17th Century (construction started in 1614). However on October 16th, 1944 (during World War II), the US Air Force dropped a bomb on the cathedral, collapsing the dome. It was then restored in 1959 in Baroque style.



Standing guard at the entrance of the dom is the statue of St Peter who was seen holding two huge keys. One key is gold and the other silver, representing heaven and hell respectively.



As we walked inside, I knew we were in for a special treat. I'm a big fan of cathedral architecture and the entire interior of this sacred space was literally breathtaking.


The ceiling frescoes depict scenes from the crucifixion, resurrection, judgment, and the Old Testament bible stories.


Near the entrance, it also houses a medieval font in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.


Unlike other European cathedrals I've seen, this cathedral has octagonal shape domes. The central of the dome is a sculpted dove representing the Holy Spirit.



There were very few people when I visited, so I took a moment to stop, pray and sit on the pew looking at all the intricate details and thinking of the thoughts, talent and time it took to build this awesome cathedral. We walked up and down the aisles, paying attention to the details of this exquisite place. You could almost feel the grandeur of Salzburg's glorious history in every corner of the dom.



Equally impressive is the world renowned 4000 organ pipes which adds greatly to the exceptional decor. I think there are other four massive organs in the dom and I learned that Wolfgang Mozart was an organist here from 1779 to 1781. If only we could have heard those organ pipes sing some rhymes, I'm sure that would have been awesome.

If you ever consider paying a visit here, please do. I don't think anyone will be disappointed by a quick stop here. The outside is spectacular and the inside awe inspiring. It is well worth the visit. On the plus side there is no entry charge but donations are most welcome. We donated a few euros which got us a postcard of the cathedral. :)

Our World