TravelswithCharie

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 tempt th

Strada Tamplârilor (Carpenter’s Street) When I was planning a trip to Romania, the place I wanted to visit the most was Sighisoara (pronounced see gui sho ara; the ghi is the same sound as gui in guild ). It was the one place that called to me among all the pretty little towns in the country. Perhaps it was the image of colorful houses and the rustic ambience that appealed to me the most. I knew how much farther away Sighisoara is from the capital, Bucharest, and I studied all the options of getting there on my own. I just couldn’t imagine going to Romania without seeing Sighisoara. Citadel or Town Square ( Piața Cetății) Sighisoara sits on top of a hill surrounded by medieval fortifications. It is like a fairytale village with its storybook setting, cobblestone streets, towers, a covered stairway, an intriguing history complete with an evil prince and an impressive clock tower. Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas) The 64-meter Clock tower is perhaps the first thing you see as you approach th

Aisle from main entrance I had heard a lot about Fantastic Indoor Flea Market but never had the chance to check it out on previous visits to Las Vegas. But this month a friend and I decided to  go and find out what the hype was all about. The temperature in July soars past the century mark in Vegas but the flea market was cool and pleasant. It wasn’t crowded on a Friday morning so we leisurely examined the displays of merchandise before stopping at a little café at the back of the market for some churros and cold drinks. They also serve empanadas and tacos which the  customer seated at the table beside us only had the highest praises for. Clothing stalls I was looking for T-shirts with the old Las Vegas slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. There were several stalls selling these for 3 for $11 or $12 but the sizes were not available. Also some of the t-shirt fabrics were thin and not good quality.  Hats and bags We found the hats reasonably priced. As an example, the Panama

Rila Monastery sits in a forested valley surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks. The setting can’t get any more wholesome with the exception that this is a popular tourist and pilgrimage destination. Weekends are the worst days to visit when the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mother is so crowded, there’s little room to move inside the stunning church. We got there after lunch on a Sunday and the traffic on the narrow lane road at the back of the monastery was atrocious. The crowds thinned after three p.m. so we could get a closer look at the outdoor frescoes.  All Eastern Orthodox churches depict the Christ Pantocrator in the central dome of the Church. Pantocrator means the Almighty and the ruler of all. There are initials on both sides of the head of the Pantocrator, IC and XC. IC are the first and last letters of Jesus in the Greek alphabet (Iota and Sigma) and XC (Chi and Sigma) are the first and last letters for Christ. This Pantocrator fresco is on the outdoor portico. T