TravelswithCharie

 "Love of God Street"   What a blessed name for a street! We should all be so fortunate to live on a street with a name like this. Calle de la Sal Someone thought to enliven this building.  Nice comic balcony scenes.  Calle Cervantes Both Miguel de Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived on this street. And the Lope de Vega house is open to visitors. You have to reserve to join a tour of his house but the small garden is open to all. Tea Shop in Huertas neihborhood Where there's tea, there's hope. Street sweeper, Plaza Jacinto Benavente  "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or as Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well'." Martin Luther King, Jr. Calle de las Hileras

Madrid has some of the best museums in the world. The Reina Sofia Museo Nacional de Arte is definitely one of these. Under its roof is arguably one of the most intriguing paintings of all time, the  Guernica  by Pablo Picasso.  The canvas measures 11.45 ft. by 25 ft. It is larger than liife. And it tells a gripping story of a small town in the Basque region which was bombed by German Luftwaffe aircraft in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.  It is forbidden to photograph this painting so here's the link to view it: http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/collection/artwork/guernica. Girl at the Window, Salvador Dali, 1925 This is an early oil painting by Dali of his sister. I too am drawn by the view from the window when I stand in front of this painting.  What must this girl be thinking? Is she longing to go out to the beach? Dali is a master at engaging his audience. His paintings often challenge our visual perception of his art.  The Sleep of Reason Produces Monst

Enter through this door Years ago I had been to one of the convents in Madrid hoping to buy their pastries but alas, they were closed. It wasn't until recently that I finally had the chance to try one of their delectable cookies. The Monastery of Corpus Christi is on Calle del Codo which is off the popular Plaza del Conde de Miranda.  Buzz the nuns at the door to let you in.  The second buzzer is for the monks which you can ring if you wish to go to confession. Once you're inside you pass a courtyard to a short corridor before you enter an open door where you can ask the nun in attendance what you'd like from the list posted on the wall. It is possible they may only have one pastry available (as on the day I went). If they have different items available, they will put the boxes of pastries or cookies on the lazy susan and you can put your money on top of the box you wish to purchase. Your change and box of sweets will come around shortly.  Put your mo

The Days are Clear Christina   Georgina Rossetti  The days are clear,  Day after day,  When April's here,  That leads to May,  And June  Must follow soon:  Stay, June, stay!  If only we could stop the moon  And June!  Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) was a British poet and lyricist.  *****

Religious articles It's been years since my last shopping trip to Greenhills Shopping Center. We were looking for some giveaways for a big meeting and Greenhills has an incalculable array of gift ideas. We started in the jewelry section and found a fresh pearl bracelet with an attractive and colorful accent stone for P95.00. We were able to bargain with the vendor since we were buying 50 pieces. She marked down the price to P70.00 for each bracelet. Souvenirs Greenhills is divided into sections - handbags and accessories, clothing (separate sections for men and women), jewelry, home decor, souvenirs, Filipiniana arts and crafts, shoes and knick knacks. It's especially fun to shop here in November for Christmas decorations and gifts though the crowd might be unabearable.  Knock-offs Many shoppers come to Greenhills to buy knock-offs. And there are gobs to choose from. Be careful though if you are bringing this to another country because Customs a

España y Filipinas, Juan Luna Oil in canvas, 1886 The Philippines has a rich artistic heritage. Following the lead of Juan Novicio Luna who earned a gold medal for his painting, Spolarium , at the Exposición General de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1884, many Filipino artists have gained international recognition and left an indelible mark in the art world.  In this painting, España y Filipinas, two women representing Spain and the Philippines are seen with their back to the viewer. Spain or the motherland has her arm around the Philippines and she is pointing to a bright horizon. Notice the elaborate red dress of Spain compared to the simple dress of the Filipina. Class distinction is obvious here. The Philippines was under Spanish rule for 400 years and that bright spot on the horizon is supposed to signify progress with Spain leading the way.  It might as well be the prospect of independence.  (A few years after this painting was.created, the Philippines declared i

Church of Pan-ay or Santa Monica Church The original church in Pan-ay was first established in 1774. A little over a century later, in 1875, a typhoon devastated that structure. It was reconstructed in 1884 and that is the church we see today. It is a fine example of the colonial Baroque style of architecture. Its walls of coral stone are three meters thick (about 9.84 feet). Renovations have been made in recent years to the roof and belfry which have suffered from termites and the ravages of time. Santa Monica Parish Church has been declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Main altar In the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in 2013, the church was damaged once again. The patches on the walls that you see in these images are part of the repairs made to make the structure safe and sound. The floor of the church consists of terra cotta tiles accented by white marble and black slate tiles. The black and whit

It was exciting to witness a parallel landing at San Francisco International Airport recently. I was onboard a Delta flight when I noticed another aircraft close by.  I watched our approach to SFO until we touched down together on parallel runways. Needless to say, the key to doing this successfully is for both aircrafts to keep their distance. Mid air On approach to the runway Wheels down ****** Images by TravelswithCharie

Japanese inspired bamboo tea house The Bellagio Hotel Conservatory and Botanical Gardens always presents some of the most visually appealing floral displays. I never fail to see their seasonal offerings when I'm in Vegas. This Spring's theme is the Japanese Garden. The scene is complete with a temple, a bamboo tea house, stone lanterns, a footbridge, and cherry blossom trees, the quintessential symbol of spring in Japan. The garden is awash with tulips, the elemental spring bulb. I spotted an exuberance of daisies, hyacinths, chrysanthemums, lilies, cyclamens and other blooms I couldn't name. Above is the cherry blossom tree with 300 oversized acrylic blossoms and leaves. Overhead are painted paper parasols which may or may not provide shade from the sun but are pretty nonetheless.  These photos were taken in the evening so the mood is markedly different. The colors are more edgy and the lighting adds a magical quality to the fountains. 

Ca' d'Oro The last time I was in Venice was nearly two years ago. It was in mid June and Venice was teeming with visitors.  We took the vaporetto which was jam-packed with passengers bound for St. Mark's Square. It was scary full. And I had no view of the beautiful palazzos that line the canals.  So nice to see a replica of the Ca' d'Oro's façade in Las Vegas. This 15th century palace is my favorite building in Venice.  It's all about the balconies, each one with its own distinct personality.  Tour Eiffel Disguised against the black of night, who would think that this tower is on the Strip and not in the City of Light? Were it not for the building in the background, this scene could be mistaken for Paris! Miracle Mile Shops Clouds dot the bluest sky inside a shopping mall. It's nice to be indoors when it's smouldering hot outside and have a glimpse of the sky, faux though it may be.  Fortunately, I have something he

Halfway between Roxas City and Kalibo is the town of Sapian, Capiz which is the home of the lush gardens of Meditation Hills. Yes, it is a great place to meditate amidst nature's beauty and bounty. What I like best about the Healing Chapel is its location halfway up the hill. It has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside and the hills across the road below.  This uphill path leads to the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I didn't venture the climb as we were there at midday and it was really too hot and the sun had sapped away my energy. All I wanted to do was take a nap. The best time to attempt this climb would be early morning or late afternoon. Bring a hat or parasol and suntan lotion.  The grounds are well manicured and the trees seem to have grown and recovered easily after the devastation of the super typhoon, Yolanda.  Above the grotto and many more steps to hurdle is a big white cross which can be seen for miles around. That cr