TravelswithCharie

Hozu/Oi River Arashiyama  has the distinction as being both a Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. It shares its name with the mountain that creates a lovely setting to this popular destination.   Sakura or cherry blossoms in the spring, the red and golden colors of autumn leaves and snow on the slopes of Arashiyama in winter enhance the beauty of the landscape through the changing seasons. 

Munich was luminous.  A radiant, blue-silk sky stretched out over the festive squares and white-columned temples, the neoclassical monuments and Baroque churches, the spurting fountains, the palaces and gardens of the residence, and the latter’s broad and shining perspectives, carefully calculated and surrounded by green, basked in the sunny haze of a first and lovely June day.  Thomas Mann, Gladius Dei, 1902 Neue Rathaus and Marienplatz A radiant, blue-silk sky stretched out over the festive squares  Frauenkirche ...and white-columned temples St. Michael's Kirke ...and Baroque churches Karlsplatz Stachus ...the spurting fountains Nymphenburg Palace ...  the palaces and gardens  Gardens of Nymphenburg Palace ...and surrounded by green, basked in the sunny haze of a first and lovely June day.   Then (1902) and now (June 2017). Note : The palace that Thomas Mann was referring to is the...

Stortorget

Small Parterre The Mirabell Gardens were laid out in 1687 during the reign of Prince-Archibishop Johann Ernst von Thun. It was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach within the Mirabell palace grounds and redesigned a few times over the years. One of the characteristics of a Baroque garden is how it incorporates vistas outside the garden into its design. This feature is evident from Rosehill, on the south side of the Palace. Our eyes are drawn from the Small Parterre to the Fountain of Pegasus and beyond to the dome and steeples of the Cathedral of Salzburg and Hohensalzburg Fortress. 

Unlike its neighbors, Kyoto and Nara, Osaka has few historical landmarks to show. This third largest city in Japan makes up for the shortfall with its thriving entertainment and food scene.  Dotonbori Street Dotonbori is referred to as the Times Square of Osaka. I think of it as an amusement park with shopping, restaurants, theaters, night clubs and crazy billboards all lit up at night. This place is all about fun, food and whimsical appearances. Restaurant signboard Osaka has been christened the city of kuidaore which means, "eat until you drop". Nowhere is food more visible than in Dotonbori where cartoon signs come alive in the evening, beckoning patrons to dinner. The restaurant shown above is on Dotonbori Street and from the looks of things, the favorite of Spiderman. There are also food stalls on the street selling two popular street food,  okonomiyaki (grilled pancake with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage and meat)   and takoyaki (octopus dumplings)....

Nyhavn

"Nuremberg shines throughout Germany, a sun among the moon and stars." Martin Luther Half timbered houses in the Alstadt On January 2, 1945, the British Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force flew over Nürnberg (Nuremberg) leveling nearly 90% of the Alstadt (Old Town). What was once one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire was turned to rubble.  Hitler's rallying ground during World War II was effectively stamped out though it took until April 1945 to weed out German resistance during the house-to-house campaign.  After the war Nuremberg was rebuilt from the ground up using the same stones that were the foundation of the old structures. What we see today is a faithful reconstruction of Nuremberg's glorious past. In the image above, restored half-timbered houses dot the Alstadt. Saint Lorenz Church Construction of St. Lorenz Church began in the 13th century and was completed in 1477. It became a Lutheran church during the Reformation....

    Wieber The Getreidegasse in Salzburg is an elegant street lined with boutiques, passages and restaurants. There are no gaudy shop signs to be seen here. Instead, there are beautifully crafted wrought iron signage announcing the name of the store and what it sells. In the photo above, Wieber has a key hanging from the beak of a gilded bird. This is a metalwork and locksmithery shop that's been around since 1415. They do keys, yes, but they also do a full range of custom made street lamps, guild signs, railing, etc. and restoration of old metal works.  Behind Weiber is the kaleidoscopic sign of Aschauer Hüte, a store selling hats and traditional Austrian garments.     Zara Zara is one of the most popular clothing stores in Europe. Notice the scissors, an important tool for sewing.       Stassny The dancing couple in diandl and lederhosen proclaim the goods sold at Stassny. Traditional Austrian costumes and accessor...

A picture paints a thousand words. So without further ado, here's Hallstatt. Hallstatt Marktplatz (Market Square) with the statue of the Holy Trinity The Skywalk View of the village of Obertraun Bird's eye view of the village of Hallstatt Traditional alpine houses Lakefront café What  to do in Hallstatt, Austria: "You want to be alone? In three minutes you are in solitude. Thoughtful? Visit the charnel house. Inquisitive? Hallstatt has two museums. Prefer social contact? Then simply choose: tennis, sauna, fishing, rowing, swimming, boat rides, grill courses, camping, hiking and mountaineering, lake concerts, town-square concerts, evenings of local culture, excursions in the surrounding area...? Even our Hallstatt Theme Trail can offer only a few glimpses of the depth of our history. But perhaps it would help you to discover the special flair of this unique town with a little background knowledge." Rudolf Lehr, j ournalist and Hal...