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Showing posts from May, 2018

Alberobello - Trulli Unique

The main reason for my trip to Puglia in early January was to see the strange, cone-shaped roofs of trulli dwellings. There are over a thousand trulli in Alberobello and to my delight, I saw many rural trulli along the way to this Unesco World Heritage Site. A trullo is built of dry stone which is an age old construction technique practiced in the Mediterranean region. It is an example of "vernacular" architecture, where materials are sourced locally and traditional building methods are used. The conical roof is made from limestone slabs and many are marked in white ash with religious or mythological symbols. A pinnacolo sits atop the cone, like a chess piece. This could be a cross or a ball or a disk or some other design and are supposed to ward off evil spirits. It was interesting to see many doors hidden behind a mesh curtain. The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua blends in with its surroundings. Red and white cyclamen brighten the whitewashed walls of

The Enchanting Islands of Concepcion

Bulobadiangan Island The Concepcion group of islands is located east of Panay Island in the Visayan Sea. These 17 islands are part of the Municipality of Concepcion in the province of Iloilo.  The sandbar on Bulobadiangan Island stretches across the sea toward Igbon Island. These islands have so far escaped the throng of sun worshippers. It was our only stop during our visit because Agho Island which is known for its white sand beach, was closed to visitors at the time and no one at the Tourism office knew when it would reopen. There is a P25 entrance fee per person to get off at Bulobadiangan and we had to bring our own food which one of the residents prepared for us for a P150 cooking fee. Cold drinks are available on the island. Danao Island Danao Island with its white sand beach looks inviting from the shores of Bulobadiangan.  Pan de Azucar The peak of Mount Manaphag or Sugarloaf Mountain towers over Pan de Azucar Island and can be seen from the mainland.

Volare and Polignano a Mare

Cala Porto Before Polignano a Mare became a popular hashtag on Instagram, there was Nel blu dipinto di blu , the Italian song that became a huge international hit in the late 1950s. Dean Martin crooned in his cover version: "Volare oh oh  Cantare oh oh oh   No wonder my happy heart sings Your love has given me wings Nel blu, dipinto di blu Felice di stare lassu." Cala Porto is a small, pebbly beach surrounded by limestone cliffs and cliffhanging homes. It would make anyone's heart sing when viewed from the Roman bridge. The beach, also known as Lama Monachile, gets crowded during the summer months and the sea is dotted with bobbing yachts. This shopping and dining street looks empty. Its mid afternoon in late January and the whole town is taking a break. Piazza dell'Orologio Piazza dell'Orologio is so called because of the prominent 19th century mechanical clock on the façade of one of the buildings on the square. This building the home

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

Matera, 2019 European Capital of Culture

"T he Sassi and Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera represent an outstanding example of a rock-cut settlement, adapted perfectly to its geomorphological setting and ecosystem and exhibiting continuity over more than two millenia." UNESCO World Heritage Site Criterion (iii) Sassi Barisano Matera was once called "the shame of Italy". This city in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy is one of the oldest inhabited settlements in the world. It was depopulated in the 1950s due to the wretched and unhealthy living conditions of its residents. It continues to be rehabilitated today and has been named one of two European Capital of Culture for 2019, an honor it received over other finalists like Perugia, Ravenna and Siena.  San Pietro Barisano San Pietro Barisano is the largest rupestrian church in Matera. It's possible to see the 12-13th century rupestrian structure under the church floor where the extensive passageways are extremely narr

Masterpieces from the National Museum of the Philippines

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him." John F. Kennedy Spoliarium by Juan Luna The Spoliarium  is an oil on canvas painting by Juan Luna. It won the coveted first gold medal at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1884. The Assassination of Governor Bustamente by F. Hidalgo Felix Resurección Hidalgo studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando de Madrid as a pensionado of the Ayuntamiento de Manila. He won the ninth silver medal in 1884 for his work, Las Virgines Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho at the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid at which event, Juan Luna won the gold medal for his Spoliarium.  The Assassination of Governor General Fernando Bustamante y Rueda  is a controversial painting for its depiction of the Dominican friars as active participants in the murder of the Governor. In fact, Fr. Fidel Villaroel, Ph.D., a Span

Historical Churches of Iloilo

Miagao Church or Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church The Miag-ao Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with three other colonial Baroque churches under the collective title, Baroque Churches of the Philippines. Please follow this link for my article on Miagao Church:  https://travelswithcharie.blogspot.com/2014/03/miag-ao-church.html Fortress Towers of Miagao Church The two belltowers are of unequal height and served as watchtowers following Islamic invasions in 1741 and 1754. Main Altar, Miagao Church The gold-plated retablo is the original altar used in the late 1700s and was found during excavations in 1982. A fire had ravaged the church in 1910 and it was believed the retablo had been razed as well.  Guimbal Church or San Nicolas de Tolentino Guimbal Church is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It was built in 1774 and restored twice, once after World War II and after the earthquake of 1948 which also destroyed the Jaro Cath