TravelswithCharie

I didn't see the elevator at the Abbesses metro stop so I unwittingly went up the stairs which winds up 118 feet (or 200 steps according to Wikipedia). Abbesses is one of the deep stations in the Paris metropolitan system. I had to stop twice on the way up to catch my breath and rest my leg muscles. It was quite a climb! I heard the people behind me panting and moaning. We were definitely in Montmartre, high above the rest of Paris. And I came for a specific reason - to see the "I love you" wall or Le Mur de Je t'aime at Place des Abbesses. I had read an article about it on Valentine's day and I was intrigued. How serendipitous that I had this chance to be in Paris! The wall is just behind the entrance to the metro station. Le mur is made of blue tile and scrawled across it are over 300 greetings of love in 250 languages. I recognized a few like Iniibig Kita and Te quiero . I did a search to find out about Ljubim te and learned that thi...

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. ...

In 1966, Marc Chagall donated the group of paintings collectively known as “Biblical Message” to the French State. These paintings were exhibited at the Louvre and became the inspiration for the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice which was inaugurated in 1973 and attended by the artist himself. This biblical series of 17 large scale paintings form the core of the exhibition. 250 works were initially donated by Chagall. Aside from the paintings, there are sculptures, bas reliefs, a ceramic piece, lithographs and copies of his illustrated books. A mosaic wall called, The Prophet Elijah,  presides in the courtyard. Every Chagall painting has more than one story to tell. I learned to watch for the little vignettes scattered throughout his canvases so I wouldn’t miss the rich narratives that define his works. The Creation of Man, 1956-58 An angel carries Adam from the ocean where animals thrived prior to the creation of man. The rays of a swirling sun evoke the artistic style...

Stavropoleos Monastery Cloister One of the top attractions of Bucharest is the Stavropoleos Church and Monastery from the 18th century. While it is in the heart of the old town, it is a tranquil place. Church of Stavropoleos Monastery  The Church was built in 1724. It was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1838. In 1841 the steeple was taken down due to the risk of its imminent collapse. The long process of restoring the Church and monastery began in the beginning of the 20th century from the designs of Ion Mincu. Today, there are six nuns living in the monastery. Iconostasis of the Church of Stavropoleos Stavropoleos Monastery  This fresco of the archangels is hung on the wall of the cloister. Cărturesți Carusel This is definitely one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, an attraction that can’t be missed when visiting Bucharest. It’s not only a bookstore, it’s a gift shop, an art gallery, a record store and has a café on the top floor. There are so many things to...

Museo del Carnaval (Carnival Museum) Montevideo amazed me with all it has to offer its visitors. I was lucky to have met up with a good friend who was living in Uruguay for a few months and she had a lot of great ideas of what we should see and do. So off we went to explore the city starting at the Carnival museum which chronicles its beginnings in the 18th century and the huge influence of African culture in the longest carnival celebration in the world. More on this under a separate post. Address: 218 25 de Agosto de 1825 Street across from Montevideo Port and next door to the Mercado del Puerto. Itinerary Day 1 Carnival Museum Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) Lunch at Es Mercat  Dessert stop at Alfajores del Uruguay Teatro Solis solo dance performance (free) Coffee break at Solis Theater café Teatro Solis evening modern dance performance Day 2 Salvo Palace Tango museum Independence Square Metropolitan Cathedral Constitution Square Lunch at Jacinto Zabala Square Mercado del Puer...