TravelswithCharie

In 2006, it was estimated there were over a 100,000 crosses, crucifixes, rosaries and religious icons on Kryžiu Kalnas or Hill of Crosses near Siauliai in northern Lithuania. The Hill was bulldozed by the Russians in the 1960s and 1970s but the people were not deterred nor their faith shaken. Today more pilgrims come and leave their crosses, laden with prayers and special intentions.  The crosses started appearing on this hill after 1831 when relatives of victims of the revolts against the Russian regime placed crosses here to commemorate their dead. At the end of the 19th century, the apparition of Mary, the Mother of God, brought more visitors to the site. Large and small crosses and crucifixes of different styles have since found its way to the Hill. Some areas are more densely populated with crosses than others. This little shrine has religious icons, rosaries, crosses, prayer novenas and crucifixes left by pilgrims who undoubtedly were moved by the manifestation of faith by t...

Niš (pronounced Neesh) was a thriving Roman city called Naissus in the second century AD. Traces of Roman occupation are evident in these Roman baths found inside Niš Fortress.  Constantine the Great was born in Niš around 280AD. (Together with Licinius, they signed the Edict of Milan in 313AD which proclaimed religious toleration within the Roman Empire and decriminalized Christianity.) The ruins from his villa in Mediana, about 7 km from the city center, is now open to the public after years of restoration. Floor mosaics of varying geometrical designs run the length of the 40-hectare property. Various artifacts from the archeological excavation are on display in the museum as well as fine floor mosaics that were in the villa of the Emperor. See my article about the Constantine’s Villa here:  https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2023/07/the-villa-of-constantine-great-in.html The remains of an Early Byzantine street from the 5th-6th century was excavated in 1962. It was one of th...

This Hop On, Hop Off tour bus was all bedecked in flowers to honor International Women’s Day. We should celebrate Women’s Day everyday, don’t you think? Incidentally, the Hop On Hop Off tour bus is a great way to see any city. The ticket is usually good for 24 hours and you can hop on again the next day and see the places you missed the previous day. It is also a solo traveler’s best and sometimes only choice when booking any other sightseeing tour and the tour operator expects or requires a booking for a minimum of two persons. These flower vendors don’t need a kiosk to sell their colorful bouquets. And they can go around town with their haul behind their backs to reach more customers. Hoàn Kiem Lake or Sword Lake is wrapped in legend involving a king, a giant turtle and a sword. Today it is an area of calm in this bustling city.  Life along the railroad tracks is as normal as can be with laundry hanging from the balconies, gossiping neighbors in front of their houses, touris...

  Ten minutes south of Las Vegas in the Ivanpah Valley are these monumental stacked boulders, Seven Magic Mountains, the creation of Swiss artist, Ugo Rondinone. This is a site specific desert art installation. The boulders weigh several hundred tons each and rise to more than 30 feet. Visitors hanging around the base more clearly define the height of these stacks. Several mountain ranges provide a stark background to the colorful totem stacks which is why Seven Magic Mountains draw many visitors to this isolated corner of Nevada. Visitors appreciate the beauty of the surrounding landscape.  Rondinone refers to Seven Magic Mountains as “an artwork of thresholds and crossings, of seclusion and gathering, of balanced marvels and excessive colors, and the contrary air between desert and city lights.” How to get there: Take Highway 15 south from Las Vegas and exit at Sloan Road (Exit 25). Turn left (east) to Las Vegas Blvd and continue for 7  miles until you see the artworks ...