architecture

Lighthouses and lunch

Posted on by collymarples

After being buffeted at the top of the wet and windy mountain, we head back down to a more temperate climate for a spot of lunch. What else but a traditional gyros . . yum!

Then it’s back to our little resort of Lassi to explore the sights of the local area. There’s some lovely little coves to explore as the sun starts to dip low in the sky.

As the sun sets we find a lovely little lighthouse to take lots of pictures of.

The lighthouse of Saint Theodoroi lies on a man-made peninsula. It’s a circular structure with 20 columns and its tower is eight metres tall.

The building is rather simple with a Doric architectural style. It was originally built in 1828 by the British administrator Charles Napier, who ruled the island that time.

The lighthouse was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953 and was rebuilt in 1960 by the local architect Takis Pavlatos according to its original architectural design.

There’s a lovely little shingle beach by the lighthouse too that looks gorgeous as the setting sun warms everything with pink and gold.

Another interesting sight to see close by is the Katavothres sea mills that mark the spot of a fascinating natural phenomena.

Sea water enters sink holes and the flow created was used to drive a water wheel to power the mills.

The mystery has always been as to where the water goes. By injecting dyes it was discovered that the water that entered the sink holes came out two weeks later in the Melissani lake and flowed out to the sea at the village of Karavomilos, above sea level.

Fascinating Fiscardo

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Today’s time travelling trawl takes us back to the beautiful Kefalonian village of Fiscardo in 2019.

With its pretty little beach, bustling harbour and terraces of adorable houses, it is picture postcard perfect.

Fiscardo is unique in that it is the only village on Kefalonia that has so many of the original Venetian buildings intact and still in use.

From every vantage point the azure ocean stretches to the horizon with any number of boats bobbing serenely on its surface.

Fiscardo is a bit of a boaters paradise and the harbour is jammed pack with boats of all sizes and specifications.

The buildings in Fiscardo managed to escape the devastating earthquake of 1953 that destroyed many parts of Kefalonia. Most of the houses are built in the attractive Venetian design and painted in pastel colours.

Shops and tavernas huddle around the harbour offering numerous opportunities to enjoy the day’s fresh catch.

The ubiquitous Bougainvillea drapes its shocking pink bracts over every surface, brazen in the knowledge that it steals the show every time!

Weathered wood, traditional textiles and colourful paintings are also on offer to the souvenir seekers.

Colourful walls sit baking in the midday sun while sunflowers are an obvious choice to flourish in this sweltering Greek town.

Dropping down to the harbour side offers some respite from the heat and I am a sucker for a floaty boaty!

Taking a walk away from the town and around the headland reveals more stunning, private little covers where clear waters lap at your feet as warm as bath water!

There’s so much to see that it warrants another post! So enjoy the sun seeking hubby as he paddles in the glorious water below!

Singapore snippets

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Before we scale the heady heights of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, we take another turn around the Gardens by the Bay.

We also mooch around the harbour area and enjoy some majestic architecture!

The lotus shaped building below is the ArtScience Museum.The ten ‘fingers’ contain gallery spaces with skylights.

The husband serves as a handy photo prop for architecture and the latest in a line up of barbie dolls.

Then it’s back to the amazing Garden by the Bay for another gawk at the super trees.

Enjoy some grainy footage of the amazing gardens and the exotic gardens.

From every angle there’s amazing vistas of the incredible gardens. This is my particular favourite.

Come walk with us amongst the super trees!! It really is an amazing spectacle.

Check out the goofy grin – Singapore is amazing!

Sri Veeramakaliamman

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Singapore is home to endless architectural and cultural delights and the area known as Little India is no exception.

We’re heading to one of the most historic, colourful temples in the area – Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.

The temple, found onSerangoon Road is one of the oldest temples in Singapore.

The incredibly ornate entrance is known as a Rajagopuram – a tall pyramidal tower built at the main entrance to a Hindu temple.

Built by Indian pioneers who came to work and live here the temple was the first in the serangoon area and became a focus of early Indian Social Cultural activities there.

From the incredibly ornate facade to the colourful interior, the temple is a riot of celebration and human interactions.

One of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the goddess and destroyer of evil, Kali – or Sri Veeramakaliamman.

Outside in the courtyard, a cornucopia of deities can be found in inglenooks, around the roofline and in every conceivable colour.

Each figure represents a particular deity, that offers a different blessing to their devotees.

Incredibly the images above are actually statues not paintings – the level of detail is incredible.

Singapore sensory overload

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I’m so far behind with my travel blog that I’m only just starting on the first trip of 2019!!

As it was a ‘big’ birthday year I got to chose where we headed for our long haul adventure – and it just had to be back to Vietnam. The place that set off my love affair with Asia way back in 2008.

We also decided to stop over in Singapore for a few days too. So let’s dive headfirst into these amazing places.

We stayed in the lovely Summer View hotel that was ideally placed to explore this hectic city.

There’s lots of fascinating districts in Singapore including Arab street and the colourful Little India district which is where I dragged the hubby first!

From multi-coloured shutter and incredible street art, to buildings so candy coloured that you want to nibble them, this area is amazing to just wander round and soak up the sights.

The incredible House of Tan Teng Niah is one such incredible rainbow hued sight.

The house was built in 1900 and belonged to Tan Teng Niah, a Chinese merchant who made sweets and sold them in stores along nearby Serangoon Road.

Gorgeous isn’t it! You can find this little gem by taking the MRT to Little India Station, taking exit E and following the snap happy tourists 🙂

Every wall and building is a colour clashing dream – even the toilet below is a pastel coloured delight!

The Louvre pyramid

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The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum and also the most visited.

It contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art and averages 15,000 visitors per day.

The most instantly recognisable part for many people is the pyramid, a controversial addition made in 1989.

The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum and it has become a landmark of the city of Paris.

It’s a large glass and metal pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei that is surrounded by three smaller pyramids.

The pyramid and the underground lobby beneath it were created because of problems with the Louvre’s original main entrance, which could no longer handle the enormous number of visitors on an everyday basis.

Even though it is now one of Paris’s key tourist attractions, the pyramid’s original design inspired a lot of heated debate.

Many people were unhappy with the modern design sitting slap bang in the middle of the classic French Renaissance style of the original museum.

Other concerns included the pyramid being an unsuitable symbol of death from ancient Egypt.

But thankfully all the concerns were put aside and we are now left with the iconic structure for all to enjoy.

Galeries Lafayette Xmas

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Galeries Lafayette is one of the most popular, chic and distinguished shopping centres in Paris. 

You can browse this temple to consumerism under a stunning 100 year-old steel and glass Coupole.

The Galeries Lafayette offers its visitors a splendid glass Coupole, rising to a height of 43 meters, which can be seen from across the city.

This majestic Art Nouveau steel and glass Coupole became the iconic symbol of the mall

And when is the biggest, best time for shopping? Christmas of course and this mecca to all things shiny does not disappoint.

Galeries Lafayette has a suspended Christmas tree every year, the first of which was hung from the dome in 1976. It’s a gorgeous spectacle to behold!

The department store has been open since 1912 . The architect Georges Chedanne to head up the first major renovations which were completed in 1907.

Ferdinand Chanut, Georges Chedanne’s apprentice, designed the store’s stunning 43-meter high Neo Byzantine dome.

In 1932, the store was renovated with an Art Déco style by an architect named Pierre Patou.

It’s well worth a tour around to just soak in the glorious, shiny magnificence of its xmas spectacle.

Pieces of Paris

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Just a few snaps from around the streets of Paris as we head towards the Pompidou Centre.

Street art plays a huge part in the street scene of the French capital as do numerous cafes and bars.

The Pompidou Centre was opened in 1977 and caused a bit of a stir at the time due to its ‘inside-out’ design.

It was the first building in architectural history to be done this way with its structural system, mechanical systems, and circulation exposed on the exterior of the building.

Initially, all of the functional structural elements of the building were colour-coded: green pipes are plumbing, blue ducts are for climate control, electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety (e.g., fire extinguishers) are red.

Below the husband is either contemplating the complex architecture or he’s hungry . . . .

Notre Dame

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Last year we were lucky enough to visit the iconic Notre Dame cathedral before it was gutted by fire in 2019.

Notre Dame – meaning Our Lady of Paris – is a medieval Catholic Cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

It is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

The fire that engulfed this noble in April 2019 was a tragedy both in terms of lost history and lost architecture.

On 15 April 2019 the cathedral caught fire, destroying the spire and the oak frame and lead roof,

The cathedral’s construction was begun in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely complete by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries.

In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed.

The cathedral is famous for its beautiful stained glass and ornate rose windows.

Below is the North rose window including lower 18 vertical windows and another jewel bright window showcasing the amazingly detailed glass.

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Arc De Triomphe

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We’re ticking off the landmarks at a rate of knots on a wet and windy Parisian day.

Next up is the majestic Arc De Triomphe – after the Eiffel Tower it is one of the most iconic of all the Paris sights.

It stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, (formerly named Place de l’Étoile( — the étoile or “star” of the juncture is formed by its 12 radiating avenues.

The Arc de Triomphe was started in 15 August 1806 and inaugurated in 1836 by French king, Louis-Philippe, who dedicated it to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire.

The Unknown Soldier was buried at the base of the arch in 1921.

The torch was designed by architect Henri Favier and is a circular bronze shield at the centre has a cannon muzzle which radiates a frieze of swords.

On 11 November 1923, surrounded by a multitude of former soldiers, the flame was lit for the first time. Since that moment, the flame has never been extinguished.

A daily ritual pays tribute to the Great Dead and each evening, at 6.30pm the flame is rekindled.