TravelswithCharie

Monument to the Bandereis, Victor Brecheret, 1954, granite Who were the bandeirantes? They were 16th-17th century prospectors who traveled from Sáo Paulo to the hinterlands of Brazil in search of gold. While on these expeditions, they enslaved and killed indigenous people as well as recaptured African slaves who had escaped to the interior. What they did do to earn this monument was to increase the dominion of São Paulo to areas beyond that established by the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. The monument has been a sore issue with the indigenous people and it came to a head in 2013 when they demonstrated in front of it and spray painted the monument with the words “ bandeirantes assassinos ”. Despite this strong message, there has not been much change on the part of the government to address the issue. In 2016, the monument was doused with red paint and graffiti. The new Mayor at that time took steps to curb these attempts to deface the monument which he described as the “symbol of the city

There's more to Montmartre than the Sacr é  Coeur and Place du Tertre. Though neither should be missed on your first visit to Paris. Knowing a little bit about Montmartre beforehand prepares you for a day's exploration of this historical and lively neighborhood. The sinking house as it is called isn't really sinking. It is firmly standing just below the Sacré Coeur Basilica. Some photographer took an "illusory" photo (similar to the image I took   above) and it became a social media hit. It wasn't all that easy to take this image because I had to consider both the foreground and background so that they do not lean with the building as well. The published pictures of the sinking house are usually taken from the grassy enclosure beside the basilica because the grass provides a level field. The fence surrounding this grassy expanse was closed to the public during my visit. In this photo, the trees provide the anchor I needed to complete the illusion.

Remember the song, I love Paris?  “I love Paris in the springtime I love Paris in the fall I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles I love Paris every moment Every moment of the year.” Tour Eiffel from La Terrasse Found myself in Paris in early November with someone who has never been to Paris. How wonderful it is to see Paris from fresh eyes. I had so much to show her but since she only had 36 hours in town, it was a short and sweet visit. She wanted to see the Tour Eiffel, first and foremost, so we went up to La Terrasse at Galeries Lafayette Haussman for her first glimpse of the tower. Galeries Lafayette Haussmann And lucky for us, the much awaited Christmas tree at Galeries Lafayette was up. This year the tree is right side up. Last year's tree was candy themed and was upside down. At the Lafayette Café on the sixth floor, a window seat affords views of the Tour Eiffel and the back of the Opera Garnier. Thi

What would you do to stave off the blues when you only get 5 hours of daylight during the winter months? Reykjavik has the answer. Colorful, highly imaginative wall art to brighten the dreariest of days. The stamp act above is at the Design Center. It is tasteful and representative of the work they do at the center. This one is called Poor Ugly. It is elaborate. So much going on here. On Hverfisgata Street. Urban art is sharply juxtaposed with Victorian architecture. At Dillon's Bar on Laugavegur. Practical wall art. A refresher course on how to tie a necktie. And an arresting advertisement for Gudsteins.  Mushrooms growing on a mushroom. Hmmm. Think what you will. Cartoon characters with graffiti and blue sky. Rare blue sky during our stay in Iceland. "And I will raise you up on eagle's wings." On Laugavegur, the main shopping street in Reykjavik.  There are more murals to discover in Reykjavik. I