TravelswithCharie

Kilim Rug I had no plans to buy a rug in Turkey. My house has one too many rugs and I had recently bought a jute rug for my living room. But a determined salesman persuaded me to look at the rugs his store offers. It was a very short walk from the Basilica Cistern where I happened to spend a couple of hours so I decided to go to with him to his store.  At the store they offered me hot tea served in tulip shaped glasses. I couldn’t even touch it as it was too hot to hold. Anyway, I was immediately distracted by a different salesman unfolding rugs before me. He asked me what type I wanted and I replied, “a peaceful one”. As you can see, none of these rugs are peaceful. They are fully covered with geometric or floral designs. The kilim rug above has cross symbols which protects against the evil eye while the running water symbol framing the edges of the rug represents life. This rug was my favorite of the lot. Here’s another kilim rug but the colors are darker. You can still find the cros

Winter Bedroom In 1901 a young Sicilian immigrant named Baldassare Forestiere arrived in Boston with a dream of becoming a citrus grower. He found a job as a subway digger until 1905 when he bought 85 acres of land in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Alas the land he bought turned out to be hardpan so his dream ended there. But being an enterprising man, he worked during his spare time to build a home for himself below the ground where it was mercifully cooler.  Forty years later, he had transformed this subterranean abode into comfortable quarters for himself and planted fruit bearing trees on 10 acres of his land. Passageway Summer bedroom This room has a window overlooking a private courtyard which allowed air to circulate and kept the room cool. Baldassare built this alcove above ground to keep the moisture off his bed. Outdoor Victorian tub Baldassare took a warm bath in this courtyard. The water was supplied by a metal tank above ground and connected by means of a hose. Thes

Church of St. George, Voronet Monastery Eight churches of Moldavia in northern Romania have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for the distinct Byzantine inspired frescoes with religious themes that cover their exterior walls. Built between the late 15th and 16th centuries, these churches are remarkably well preserved. I had the opportunity to visit four of these churches namely, the Church of the Beheading of St. John in  Arbore, the Church of the Annunciation in Moldovita, the Church of the Resurrection in Sucevita and St. George in Voronet. The Church of St. George has been singled out for the vibrant blue color background of its frescoes which was made from lapis lazuli, among other elements. This particular shade is referred to as Voronet Blue. The Church of St. George was completed in just three months and three weeks. It was built by Stefan the Great, Voivode of Moldavia, in 1488 to commemorate his victory over the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Vaslui. The photo abo

Spice Market, Istanbul I just noticed that I haven’t posted anything since January 9th of this year. It’s a little hard to write something when you’re traveling because you’re distracted by the 101 things you need to do while you’re living abroad temporarily and the vastly different social life you’re suddenly exposed to. The other reason for my lack of posts is that I find it difficult to write about my travels because the “words” are not flowing. I did write about some of my activities related to my school supplies program. You’ll find this here:  balaynicharie.blogspot.com .  Bucovina, Northern Romania I do have quite a few travel articles in the burner. These are about my visits to Bucovina with its unique painted churches, my trips to Brazil and the beautiful coastline of Uruguay as well as my experiences in the incredible country of Turkey, the breathtaking landscapes of northern Taiwan and the Water Village of Brunei. I’m so grateful to have been able to do some traveling the

Casapueblo, Punta Ballena Just a few minutes from the popular beach destination of Punta del Este is Casapueblo which sits on the edge of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re staying at the hotel, then you’re in for a big treat. Imagine the view of the blue ocean made more dazzling by the sun. But that’s not all. There’s also an art gallery and museum next door which displays the artistic works of Carlos Páez Vilaró who also designed Casapueblo, his permanent home and studio. Casapueblo reminds one of the Greek isles at first glimpse. But it isn’t that simple. Look closely and you’ll find the influence of Gaudi in the architecture which Vilaró himself built with no plans. There are no straight lines. The interior has many passages and narrow stairs leading to enchanting rooms, everyone of which is different from the other. Notice the curving lines and the rooftops with its pointed concrete posts. Vilaró likened his house to a hornero’s (ovenbird) nest. He slowly expanded th