Siena

Categories: Italy · Siena · TravelTags: · ·

Siena is a city where the architecture soars. Effectively a giant, open-air museum celebrating the Gothic, Siena has religious and secular monuments that have retained both their medieval forms and their extraordinary art collections. Often referred to as Florence’s longtime rival, this city of rose-coloured brick seems to have come out on top in terms of a more unified preservation and grace. With steep, twisting stone alleys and churches, palaces, and crenellated public buildings draped across its gentle hillsides, Siena is for many admirers one of the most beautiful towns in Italy. It’s a feast for the senses and an…

Mahalo

Categories: Accommodations · Food · Hawaii · TravelTags: · · · ·

“Thank you” (in Hawaiian) for the warm welcome to Hawaii! I had a truly unforgettable stay. In Honolulu, I stayed for two nights at Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani. The hotel opened only in 2019 and is the sister hotel of Halekulani, which is located right across the street. The boutique style hotel has 288 rooms, which I did not find too overwhelming with lots of guests, as the other hotels in Waikiki. The hotel is a block from Waikiki Beach and also a block away from the main shopping street. I flew to the island of Lana’i to spend the…

Lana’i

Categories: Hawaii · Lanai · TravelTags: ·

The smallest publicly-accessible inhabited island in Hawaii, Lana’i is known as Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation for Dole. Lana’i is only 14.5 kilometres away from Maui and as of 2012, the island is 98% owned by the chairman of Oracle Corporation. Aside from the three hotels in the island and the small town of Lana’i City, the island has no traffic lights, shopping malls, and only 48 kilometres of paved road. This is the perfect island for someone seeking tranquility and escape from everyday urban life. The Kolo’iki Ridge Hike is a 7.9 km…

O’ahu

Categories: Art · Hawaii · Oahu · TravelTags: · · ·

It is my first visit to Hawaii and first stop for 36 hours is the island of Oahu or “The Gathering Place“. Oahu is the third largest Hawaiian island and home to two-third of Hawaii’s population. Hawaii‘s state capitol, Honolulu, is located in this island. I came across an art exhibit which was part of the Hawai’i Triennial 2022 and I was taken by Sun Xun’s art works, drawn on newsprint gathered in Hawaii in 2020 during the pandemic.

Lisbon 2.0

Categories: Art · Lisbon · Portugal · TravelTags: · · · ·

Almost to the date four years later, I am back in Lisbon. The beauty of not getting to see all sights on the first visit is that there are more new things to see upon one’s return. Convento do Cormo (or the Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) was built between 1389 and 1423 in the Gothic style. Considered by many to be Lisbon’s loveliest church, this convent has not had a roof since it fell in during the 1755 earthquake. A lawn now covers what was once the main nave.  Mannerist and baroque architecture dominate the São Roque Church,…

Douro Valley

Categories: Douro Valley · Portugal · TravelTags: · ·

Located in North Portugal, Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site approximately 100 kms east of Porto. The Douro Wine Region Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world known for producing its cultural treasure – the strong and sweet Port wine. The region has been attracting international wine aficionados since the 18th century and the terraced fields on either side of the Douro River is a wonder to look at. The Douro River is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the…

Tofino

Categories: Canada · Tofino · TravelTags: · · ·

Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, the village of Tofino is situated within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. Surrounded by the vast expanse of the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region, the town is a popular year-round destination which attracts surfers, storm-watchers, and nature-lovers, among others. Being homebound for more than 18 months made me crave to be close to nature – and to be reunited with the Pacific Ocean is a bonus. Meares Island – Big Tree Trail Meares Island is one of the islands surounding Tofino that features old growth…

Maʿal-salāmah مَع السَلامة

Categories: Accommodations · Cairo · Egypt · Giza · Luxor · TravelTags: · ·

“With Peace” in Arabic and a formal expression of goodbye. I say goodbye – it has definitely been one incredible and breathtaking experience to visit Egypt. Manial Palace, a former royal residence. was built for Prince Mohammed Ali Tawfiq, a descendant of Egypt’s famed ruler Mohammed Ali, and the uncle of King Farouk. It was constructed between 1899 and 1929. During this trip, I stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence. Though the hotel (there are two Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo) may have been built nearly 20 years ago, it maintains a timeless appeal and…

Karnak & Luxor Temples

Categories: Architecture · Egypt · Luxor · TravelTags: · · · ·

Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum and there might be nothing in the world that compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes. After the pyramids of Giza, Karnak is Egypt’s most important pharaonic site. Excavations over the years have gradually uncovered the original structure of the temple complex, which was built over a 1,300-year period. Luxor Temple is an elegant example of Pharaonic temple architecture. The temple was largely completed by the 18th-Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III and added to during the reign of Ramses II in the 19th Dynasty.

Thebes

Categories: Architecture · Egypt · Luxor · TravelTags: · · ·

Modern Luxor grew out of the ruins of Thebes, once the capital of ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC). The Temple of Hatshepsut rises out of the desert in a series of terraces that merge with the sheer limestone cliffs behind. Discovered only in the mid-19th century, and still being restored by the Polish Mission.