TravelswithCharie

Quéquette and foufoune Laquéquetterie opened in Paris in 2020 at the height of the pandemic and has since become the favorite pancake shop in Paris judging by the line of people outside its doors waiting to devour these naughty pancakes. And they are delicious as well! The menu offers a choice of quequettes and foufounes. Shown above is the Black and White quequette which is covered with dark and white chocolate. The foufoune has strawberries and chocolate. You can add toppings or ice cream to your pancake for an additional charge. Both of the pancakes I bought cost €12 plus €1 euro for the takeaway box (I ate my pancakes at my hotel as I had some sightseeing to do.) The shop also offers milkshakes in a variety of flavors. Check out the menu here:  https://laquequetterie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Menu-Juin-2022-Paris-Dijon.pdf To take out or to lick? I saw several customers lick their quequettes in front of the shop. If you’re modest, you might wait till you get home to lick it t

Stari Grad, Old Town Budva It was hard to appreciate Montenegro in the rain. But its mountains, fortified towns like Budva and coastline were enchanting viewed through the mist.  St. Ivan (St. John) Catholic Church The belfry you see above is that of St. Ivan’s. It has been a landmark since 1867. The current church is from the 15th century. I was amazed by the fresco of St. John on the altar wall. It’s a sharp contrast to the austere white walls. *Picture taking is not allowed. Citadela or St. Mary’s Fortress The Citadel’s existing form can be attributed to the Austrian Hungarian rule in the 19th century which lasted a 100 years. The Austrian army built their barracks inside the Citadel. There’s a small entrance fee to the Citadel. Narrow passageways of Budva The old town of Budva is surrounded by medieval stone walls built by the Venetians during heir 400-year rule to protect Budva (known then as Budua) against Ottoman incursions. Structures within its core are made of stone as well.

Stari Most or Mostar Old Bridge The original arched bridge was commissioned in 1557 by Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire and completed in 1566. It stood for 427 years until 1993 when it was demolished during the Croat-Bosnian War. It was reconstructed between 2001-2004. Two towers protect the bridge on both ends. The Stari Most area and the old town have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Center. Mostar was badly damaged during the Croat-Bosnian War. There are still traces of bullet holes on buildings and a few shells of houses destroyed by the war. Another footprint of the conflict are the cemeteries you’ll see along main thoroughfares where the thousands killed during the clashes were laid to rest.  Stari Most Divers jump from this bridge to the river below if they have received enough donations (at least €50) from visitors and onlookers. It must be a thrilling sight! View of the neighborhood across the river Neretva River and Lučki Most (bridge)  Koski Mehmed Pasha M

Church of St. James the Greater (Apostle) Medjugorje became the center of pilgrimage for Catholics when Mary, the Mother of God appeared in the hills above this town in June 1981 to several young visionaries. She appeared for several days to them to deliver the messages of peace, faith, prayer, conversion and fasting. These apparitions continue to this day on the 25th of the month to Marija Pavlović, one of the visionaries. Here’s her message from April 25, 2022 taken from medjugorje.hr. “Dear children! I am looking at you and I see that you are lost. That is why I am calling all of you: return to God, return to prayer—and the Holy Spirit will fill you with His love which gives joy to the heart. Hope will grow in you, also for a better future, and you will become joyful witnesses of God’s mercy in you and around you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” I started my pilgrimage at St. James. Mass was being celebrated when I arrived so I attended the mass before setting out on the

Ceiling of Our Lady of the Rocks Church Gospa od Skrpjela or Our Lady of the Rocks island is an artificial islet on Kotor Bay. Local lore tells the story of two fishermen who found an icon of the Madonna and Child on a rock in the bay and vowed to build a church where they had found it. From 1452 onward, seamen from Perast and Kotor brought large stones to the site to build up the islet.  Today, the tradition of bringing stones to the island continues with the  fašinada  which is celebrated annually at sunset on July 22. Madonna and Child, Lovro Dovričević, 15th century Altar by Antonio Capelano, Carrara marble A Roman Catholic chapel was built on the islet in 1630. The church we see today is from 1722.   Mary on her deathbed Many frescoes in the Church were painted by Tripo Kokolja, an artist from Perast. Choir   Notice the silver votive tablets that were offered by sailors to the Virgin Mary for a safe journey. Hundreds of these votives adorn the church. There is a museum adjacent to

Lady with an Ermine, Leonardo da Vinci, ca 1490, oil on wood panel Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski bought the Lady with an Ermine painting while traveling in Italy in 1798. This is a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani who is said to be one of the mistresses of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. The Duke was awarded the Order of the Ermine by the King of Naples and was known as l’Ermenillo. Landscape with the Good Samaritan, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1638 Study of a horse from the Battle of Grunwald painting, Jan Matejko, 1876 Note: The plaque at the top of this vignette spells the name of Adam Kazimierz. He was the husband of Princess Izabela who is the founder of the museum. The portrait on the left is that of Prince Władisław Czartoryski, the grandson of Princess Izabela, to whom Matejko gifted the Study of a horse. The portrait is by Teodor Axentowicz, 1892-1893. St. Catherine of Alexandria (fragment from a triptych),  Hans Seuss von Kulmbach, ca 1511 The Annunciation, Master Jerzy, 1517 Coron