TravelswithCharie

San Sebastian Minor Basilica Following the destruction of its three churches due to fire and earthquakes, the parish priest of San Sebastián in the 1880s, Esteban Martinez, sought the help of a Spanish architect named Genaro Palacios to build a church that could withstand an earthquake. Palacios’ idea was to use steel to construct the new church and make it both earthquake and fire resistant. To this end, prefabricated steel sections were ordered from Belgium which were then sent to the Philippines in 1888 in eight separate shipments. Belgian workers traveled to Manila to put together all these sections on-site. Pope Leo XIII raised the status of San Sebastián to Minor Basilica in 1890, a year before the new church was consecrated in August 1891. Steel is not without its share of problems. Rust and corrosion are expected of a structure that is over a century old especially when it is close to Manila Bay. Interventions have been undertaken throughout the years to preserve the Basilica a

The Pyramid of Tirana My guide, Eddy, didn’t show me around Tirana until a few days after I arrived. We joked about how I’ve been all over Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo without once setting foot on Skanderbeg Square. But it was a good thing we waited because we had a leisurely time exploring the city center on foot without the traffic that plagues the city on a weekday. I must confess that I didn’t expect much from Tirana beyond the bunkers. The videos I’d watched of the city didn’t impress me so I was pleasantly surprised by all the things I saw and especially the new, modern architecture. I would definitely want to stay close to Skanderbeg Square on my next visit so I can spend more time exploring and sitting at one of many outdoor cafés near the repurposed Tirana Castle. While we’re on the subject of confession, I have another confession to make. That is, I was wowed by Albania and I’m now a fan of this beautiful Balkan country. From Berat in the south to Shkoder in the northw

We started our river cruise from this jetty to Kampong Ayer. Kampong Ayer or the Water Village is the largest water settlement in the world. It is a self contained community with its own mosques, schools, stores, fire, police and gas stations, etc. Dubbed as the Venice of the East, it has existed for more than 600 years. I would definitely recommend taking a small boat to explore the 30-40 villages (reports vary) on stilts along the banks of the Brunei River. There’s so much to learn here about the culture and history of the country. It’s also refreshing to be out on the water especially since it can get very hot in Brunei in February. Please watch my video of Kampong Ayer here:  https://youtu.be/0NhbtIfmku4?feature=shared Eighteen and a half miles (30km) of wooden walkways connect the homes in the villages. Ripas Bridge or Queen’s Bridge is a cable stayed bridge connecting the city center with Mukim Lumapas in the southern district. Houses on stilts The wooden stilts are subject to ro