TravelswithCharie

Untitled, Urs Fischer, 2011 The first thing that struck me about the Bourse Museum is the neo classical aesthetic of both its façade and Rotunda. The vast light-filled Rotunda draws the eyes to the metal and glass dome above and the panoramic fresco, Triumphal France, that surrounds the cupola. Without taking away the architectural integrity of a historical landmark, Tadao Ando restored and renovated the former stock exchange building into a museum for contemporary art for the collection of François Pinault, a French art collector. “The spatial layout of the Bourse de Commerce is designed to create an intense and more subtle dialogue between new and old.” Tadao Ando The wax sculpture by Urs Fischer, a Swiss artist, claims the central position in the Rotunda. It is a replica of The Abduction of Sabine Women by Giambologna. Fischer’s other works surround this sculpture. Even the birds love this museum. Wait a minute, are they for real? Others by Maurizio Cattelan, 2011. (Pigeons) Untitle

Forest bathing in Bordeaux Bordeaux, dubbed the Pearl of Aquitaine, seems to have everything. It has a historic center which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It has bold, new architectural spaces juxtaposed with soaring 15th century bell towers and Gothic cathedrals. It is one of the great wine producing regions in France that has quenched man’s thirst since the Roman era. It has expansive squares and gardens with flourishing trees that cool down the summer heat. There’s much to see, taste, smell and learn in this old and “new” city in southwestern France. Church of St. Croix (Holy Cross) There was a church on this spot since the 11th century and it was modified over time. The current asymmetrical façade of Saint Croix is from the 18th century renovation when a new tower was added. Identical  columns frame the second to fourth floors of the towers but the arched windows are of different styles and count. An  interesting sculpture of St. George slaying the dragon play

Pastel of Salmon dish at La Bodeguilla It was drizzling when we arrived in Palma de Mallorca and the temperature was way lower than in Seville where we had spent the last several days roasting under Andalucian skies. And it rained for most of the time we were in Palma. That sort of dampened our visit but we discovered several places of refuge to while the time away. Off the main shopping street we found two restaurants, both under the same management. El Burladero is a casual taberna on Calle Concepcion where we kept dry and ate a late, late lunch after a long day of sightseeing. As it was late afternoon and some of the staff were on lunch break themselves, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with them and find out about island life. The following day we had an early dinner at La Bodeguilla , an upscale restaurant with several dining rooms. We tucked ourselves in a niche with a big glass window overlooking Calle San Jaime. It was a pleasure to linger over dinner and drinks. I ha

Pismo Beach Pier, California Traveling during the pandemic was  quite different from my previous last minute trips with no hotel reservations and lots of taken for granted expectations. There are health disclosures to fill, vaccination cards to show immigration, covid tests to take, and in some cases, travel insurance and confirmed paid hotel reservations to show the border police. Thankfully the airports were quiet at the beginning of my European trip in June but by the time I got home in July from Paris, travelers were back in droves that it took me close to three hours to get to my gate. The same was true in December when I returned from Costa Rica. LAX was full of Christmas travelers, it was hard to find any seat at the gates let alone, breathing space. Enough whining! After all, I visited 7 countries in 2021 plus the Arctic Circle, Interior Alaska and Las Vegas and had reunions with my close friends in Michigan, Amsterdam and Vienna. It was an amazing year of travel! April. After