CITTÀ ETERNA!

ROME - JUNE 1997

After an Easter in Prague, I was in Paris in May 1997. No pictures, however. But in June, we travelled again, the three of us. Rome was the destination!

Rome is also known as the Eternal City! Furthermore, there is Roma, Città Aperta of Rossellini and Roma of Fellini, as well as many other Roma(s). This post does not envisage to be included in the list ;). It's just a personal view made out of some disposable camera lousy pictures taken in June 1997 (times when the video camera was the queen), twenty two years after our first time there in 1975!


"VIEW - The Intercontinental De La Ville Hotel is not the Hassler, though it's located next door at Via Sistina. Anyhow, it's a nice place to stay and the view from our top floor room was quite enjoyable"


"SCALINATA - The Spanish Steps, close to the Spanish Embassy in Rome, are a must for every tourist in Rome. The result can be seen here around the Barcaccia Fountain!"


"TRINITÀ DEI MONTI - On the top of the Scalinata, we may see the Obelisco Sallustiano, the Church also known as the «Santissima Trinità al Monte Pincio» and, on the right hand side of the photo, the Hotel Hassler with the famous rooftop restaurant. The church was started in 1502, by Louis XII of France to celebrate his successful invasion of Naples. It was consecrated in 1585"


"COLOSSEUM - The Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheatre, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Its construction started between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD, when it was prepared to seat up to fifty thousand spectators. «Panem et Circenses»!"




"PALATINO - According to Wikipedia, «The Palatine Hill is the centremost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands 40 metres above the Forum Romanum, looking down upon it on one side, and upon the Circus Maximus on the other». Always loved to stroll there..."



"THE FORUM - The Roman Forum, located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill, is the area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed and was the actual centre of the Empire"


"THERMAE - The Baths of Caracalla, built between 212 and 216 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla, were a huge leisure centre in Rome, including, further to the Baths, a library and a gym! Now you may attend the «Open-air summer festival by the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma», usually in July"


"VIA APPIA - The Appian Way, «THE QUEEN ROAD», was the most important ancient Roman road connecting Rome to Brindisi. On the left we may see the tomb of the fifth Caecilia Mettela, daughter-in-law of Marcus Licinius Crassus, the Roman general who suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus and entered into First Triumvirate, with Pompeius and Julius Caesar"


"CAMPIDOGLIO - The Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio in Italian) has almost all Roman ruins covered up by the Medieval palaces that surround the piazza, mostly designed by Michelangelo. Capitoline was also the origin for the English word capitol..."


"LUPA - This is the famous bronze sculpture depicting the Capitoline she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. Thought to be an Etruscan work of the 5th century BC, it seems however, according to recent radiocarbon dating, that it was manufactured in the 13th century AD. For sure is that the twins were added in the late 15th century!"


"ISOLA TIBERINA - The Tiber Island, a 270m long and 67m wide boat-shaped island, is the only island in the Tiber river. The bridge we see here is the one to be crossed to get to the nice restaurants in Trastevere..."


"GINO DA TRASTEVERE - Gino is one of the nice restaurants in Trastevere. Eating fish and looking at people...!"

EASTER IN PRAGUE - PART TWO

TOURISTS IN PRAGUE - MARCH 1997


"OLD TOWN (Staré Mesto) SQUARE - The historic square is located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge and is probably the most popular meeting place in Prague. The Memorial in the centre was erected in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Jan Hus, a religious reformer who was burned at the stake for his beliefs"


"TYN CATHEDRAL - A Church of Our Lady in front of Týn has been in the old square of Prague since the 11th century; the current late gothic church dates from the 14th century. The towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires"


"PRAGUE ORLOJ (The Astronomical Clock) - The Orloj, mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall, is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky; «The Walk of the Apostles», a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months"


"JOSEFOV - The former Jewish Ghetto is the smallest cadastral area of Prague, entirely within the old town. It seems that the first Jews arrived in Prague on the 11th century"


"OLD JEWISH CEMETERY - It is estimated that there are 12,000 graves in the cemetery, the oldest preserved tombstone (Avigdor Kara) dating back to 1439"


"NEW TOWN (Nové Mesto), founded in 1348 by Charles IV just outside the old city walls, is the youngest and largest of the five towns that today comprise the historic centre of modern Prague. In 1378, a census found that Prague had 40,000 inhabitants making it the fourth most populated city north of the Alps after Paris, Ghent and Bruges, and the third largest city in Europe in area after Rome and Constantinople"


"WENCESLAS SQUARE was the Horse Market place in the Middle Age; it is now named after the patron saint of Bohemia. Wenceslas Square is the historical landmark of the New Town and a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings"


"GRAND HOTEL EUROPA - Built in 1889 at the Wenceslas Square, it was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style between 1903 and 1905 to appear in many films..."


"HOTEL PARIS - Built in 1904 in the Art Nouveau style, just a couple blocks from the Old Town Square"


"U FLEKU, a large pub, restaurant and brewery, is the finest example of all the traditional Czech pubs in Prague, from the architectural point of view. Located in an ancient building dating from 1499, U Fleku has a brewery museum installed in the former malt house"


"MASARYK QUAI - Beautiful houses from the early 20th century with a beautiful view of the river and towards the castle"


"THE DANCING HOUSE (or Drunk House) was designed by Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with Frank Gehry. Originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) the house stands out among the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings of the nearby Masaryk Quai"


"CUBIST HOUSE - In the Vysehrad district, near the River Vltava"



"VYSEHRAD - The castle was built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River and within its limits is the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Peter, as well as a cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from Czech history"


"INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL"


"TYROLEAN AIRLINES - An exciting experience for the (however learned) young traveller... "

EASTER IN PRAGUE - PART ONE

CITY OF A HUNDRED SPIRES - MARCH 1997

Prague, whose town centre was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1992, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Located by Vltava (Moldau) River in central Bohemia, it has been the political, cultural, and economic centre for the Czechs in the last 1100 years. In 1997, end of March, profiting from Easter holidays, we visited Prague. I've never seen so many Spanish adolescent/students together in my life...


"THE RUDOLFINUM, one of the most important neo-renaissance buildings in Prague, was constructed during the years 1876–1884 and named in honour of Rudolf of Hapsburg, Crown Prince of Austria, who presided the opening on February 8, 1885. It was originally designed as an art gallery and House of Artists and in 1946 it became the seat of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. However, from 1918 to 1938 and a short period after World War II (1945-1946), it also housed the Czechoslovak Parliament"



"CANAL CESTOVKA, quite close to the Vltava River"


"CHARLES BRIDGE - The construction of the bridge dates from the reign of the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who, according to the legend, controlled everything up to the smallest detail. The oddest seems to be the date of its foundation: 5:31 am, 9. 07. 1357. Only odd digits and, except 9, all prime numbers!"


"UP THE HILL - View towards the Castle from the 1464 Lesser Bridge Tower"


"CHARLES BRIDGE - View from the same tower towards the Bridge"


"ROYAL ROUTE gets its name from the coronation processions of the Bohemian Kings, starting with George of Podebrady in 1458. It used to link the gates of Old Prague to the Prague Castle, a route full of houses with beautiful façades"


"TO THE CASTLE"



"ST. VITO - The Gothic cathedral, whose original name is St Vitus, St Wenceslas and St Adalbert Cathedral, is the biggest and the most important church in the Czech Republic. It's the place where the coronations of the kings of Bohemia were held until 1836 and also where saints, kings, princes and emperors of Bohemia are buried"


"BELL TOWER - View from the 14th century Bell Tower on the southern side of the Cathedral"


"GOLDEN LANE - The Street was created during the construction of the northern fortification at the end of the 15th century. In 1597 the emperor Rudolf II decided that the 24 marksmen who guarded the castle should live there. However, as space was at premium, the marksmen had to build very small houses for their families"


"PETRIN TOWER - Built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition, this small version of the Eiffel Tower offers one of the best views of Prague and its surroundings. The tower, on the top of Petrin hill, is only 60m tall but you need to climb 299 steps to reach the platform for the magnificent view"


"OLD TOWN BRIDGE TOWER - Designed by Peter Parler at the end of the 14th century, it's a beautiful Gothic construction. Further to being an ornament for Charles Bridge, it was used as a watch tower and part of the defensive structure"


"VLTAVA RIVER, Charles Bridge and St. Vito Cathedral"


"OLD TOWN FAÇADE"


"WALLENSTEIN GARDEN was built in 1623–30, together with the first large secular palace of the Baroque era - the Wallenstein Palace, nowadays the seat of the Senate of the Czech Republic. Many statues that you see there, representing heroes from Greek mythology, are copies of the ones made by artist Adrian de Vries, as the original works were plundered by Swedish as war booty in 1648. The copies were brought to the garden only in 1912-1918"

UNDER THE SUN - BOCA RATON

FLORIDA - MARCH 1977

By 1925, Addison Mizner (1872-1933), who had never had formal training in architecture but had studied design his entire life, had a dream! He joined Florida’s great land boom, and wanted to create «the world’s most architecturally beautiful playground»! The start was promising; however, by the autumn of 1925, Florida’s great land boom began to unravel and a hurricane in September 1926 destroyed most of the chances of Mizner’s dream come true. Anyhow, some parts of the dream survived in the Boca Raton Resort and Club! The Boca Raton Resort & Club consists of the Cloister, the Tower, the Boca Beach Club, the Boca Bungalows, the Boca Country Club, the Yacht Club, two 18–hole golf courses, 30 tennis courts, the Spa Palazzo, a golf clubhouse, six pools, an indoor basketball court, a 32–slip marina, and a half–mile of private beach... Enough? I deliberately omitted the conference facilities, where I spent too much time...


"SUNRISE - It must have been the time difference that made me wake up and take sunrise pictures"


"THREATENING SKIES - The same spot, another day..."



"BOCA BEACH - Late afternoon, after meetings..."




"THE BEACH CLUB - It seems to be closed for renovation until 2009! Anyhow, in 1997, it was a great place to stay!"


"SHUTTLE BOAT - Waiting to get to the Cloister"


"TRAVEL COMPANION"




"THE CLOISTER, THE TOWER and the famous BOCA PINK"



"PALM BEACH on the way, and the Breakers, set in 1896 amidst 140 acres (57 hectares) of oceanfront property"


"THE BEACON HOTEL - South Beach, Ocean Drive"


"KEY BISCANE - This one is dedicated to Isabella, who must be enjoying beach delights while most of us are inside..."

ONCE NEW YORK, ALWAYS NEW YORK

BLUE SKY - MARCH 1997

After Paris and Bangkok (through London), I flew again via Heathrow to New York to spend some time before heading to Florida. The sky was blue and the weather, though cold, was perfect for a walk. So this is the result of one of such walks...


"THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING was the world’s tallest building between 1913 and 1930. According to Wikipedia, it is still one of the fifty tallest buildings in the United States as well as one of the twenty tallest buildings in New York City. But it must be coming down the ranking..."


"NEW YORK CITY HALL, built between 1803 through 1812, is the seat of the government of the City, housing the office of the Mayor and the chambers of the City Council. Apparently, it's the oldest City Hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions"





"THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE started to be constructed in 1869 and took 14 years to complete. The bridge, 1.5km long, spans the East river from Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan and has an elevated pedestrian path which gives you the chance to have a great view of either downtown Manhattan's magnificent skyline or of Brooklyn's residences and offices"





"BROOKLYN HEIGHTS - Brooklyn, founded by the Dutch in the 17th century after their native town of Breukelen, remained an independent city until 1898, when its residents voted by a slight majority to join with Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens and Richmond (later Staten Island) to form the modern City of New York. Brooklyn Heights, considered to be the first suburb in America, has some beautiful mansions. In one such mansion George Washington made his decision to retreat from Brooklyn and on August 29th, 1776, Washington's army crossed the East River, leaving Brooklyn to the British. The British Empire ended its occupation of New York on November 25, 1783, celebrated as the Evacuation Day for more than a century"




"THE PROMENADE at Brooklyn Heights, built atop the double deck Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, may take your breath away, as it displays spectacular views of the East River bridges and the skyscrapers of Manhattan. For some residents, including Wall Street workers, it's a Manhattan neighbourhood, located on the better side of the river..."


"THE US POST OFFICE is a beautiful building at Cadman Plaza East, Downtown Brooklyn"


"PIER 17 at South Street Seaport is a place I always liked; in particular, the view from the top terrace"


"PEKING, a 1911 four-mast barque, is one of the largest privately owned fleet of historic ships in the US, owned by the South Street Seaport Museum"

STROLLING AROUND BANGKOK

RIVER, PALACES, TEMPLES AND HOTELS - FEBRUARY 1997

This post is the last from the February 1997 trip to Bangkok, and shows pictures taken during a long stroll in town.



"CHAO PHRAYA, the River of the Kings, runs for 372 km from north to south through the central plains to Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. The first picture shows an embarkation point for the ferry that runs up and down the river"


"HOTEL - From the Sheraton, a nice view of the strange form of what I thought was going to be a hotel. Couldn't confirm..."


"PORTUGAL - The entrance to the Noble House, the Portuguese Embassy in Thailand"


"THE ORIENTAL - Still the best hotel in Bangkok"







"THE VINMANMEK ROYAL MANSION, located on Ratchawithi Road, is the world's largest building made entirely of golden teak. It was removed from Ko Sichang in the Chonburi province, rebuilt in the Dusit Palace in 1900 by order of King Rama V. Most of the building is now used as museums, showing Queen Sirikit's collection of handicrafts created by rural people and art objects including King Bhumibol's photography, portraits, ancient cloth, clocks, and royal carriages. It's a wonderful building and a nice place to visit"


"PARLIAMENT BUILDING"




"WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT - Back to the temple, fourteen years later"




"WAT SAKET (THE GOLDEN MOUNT) - The towering gold chedi of Wat Saket, an artificial hill constructed under King Rama III (1824-51), was once the highest point in Bangkok. The temple complex at the bottom of the hill dates back to the Ayutthaya era"


"VIEW - There is a nice view from the top of the Golden Mount"




"HYATT AND WTC - At one of the busiest corners of Bangkok, where one can find the Hyatt Hotel and the World Trade Centre Bangkok, you may also find a small and busy shrine..."


"MERIDIEN HOTEL - I started this series of Bangkok posts with pictures from a nice Hotel that was demolished and saw it's gardens occupied by a shopping mall. Now, to end, I show a photo of the Meridien Hotel after a fire burnt some of the floors... Strange things happened to hotels in Bangkok!"

WAT PHRA KAEW AGAIN!

BACK TO THE THAI GRAND PALACE - FEBRUARY 1997

The first time I was in Bangkok and in the Grand Palace was in 1983, with Guida and on holiday. This time I returned alone for a meeting, but got some time off to get back to the magnificent palace!


"THE WALL - The palace, erected by Rama I, has an area of 218,400 sq. metres and is surrounded by 1900 metres of walls built in 1782, when Bangkok was founded. Within the walls we find the Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha, as well as government offices and royal residences, nowadays used only for occasional ceremonial purposes. The Grand Palace adjoins Wat Phra Kaew in a common compound, but despite the proximity, there's a contrast between the Thai style of the Wat Phra Kaew and the European design of the Grand Palace (with the exception of the roof)"


"TEMPLE"


"KINAREE - Mythological creature, half bird, half woman"




"THE COMPLEX consists of over 100 brightly coloured buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics... and thousands of tourists!"



"CHAPEL OF THE EMERALD BUDDHA - Wat Phra Kaew is Thailand's most sacred temple. It houses the little (between 60 and 75 cm) Emerald Buddha, which is located inside a glass box, high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. The statue isn't actually made of emerald but rather of green jade"




"GIANTS -A cloister surrounds the temple, and depicted along is an extensive mural of the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana"



"GARDENS, TREES and the Chakri Mahaprasad Hall"

BANGKOK WAT(s) REVIVAL

MYSTICAL TOUR 2ND ROUND - FEBRUARY 1997

The first round of the Bangkok temples took place in 1983, and memories from such trip as well as descriptions of the temples may be seen here. So, I'll reduce words. Fourteen years later, when we compare sites and pictures, we may conclude that great improvements were made!

***

WAT PO



WAT PO - The oldest and largest temple in Bangkok"



"GOLDEN BUDDHA"




"RECLINING BUDDHA in much better shape. Surely re-gilded..."

***

WAT ARUN






"WAT ARUN - «Temple of the Dawn», probably the better known symbol of Bangkok"

IN THE KINGDOM OF SIAM

BANGKOK - FEBRUARY 1997

After New Year in New York, I spent one week in Paris (in early February), and flew to Bangkok by the end of the month. It was the second time I was in Thailand, after the 1983 visit. This time I stayed at the Siam Intercontinental Hotel, a landmark that was closed on June 30, 2002, and destroyed afterwards. This post is dedicated to the late Siam Intercontinental Hotel, a remarkable hotel torn down to give rise to an incredible shopping centre named Paragon... A disaster!


"GARDENS - The Siam Intercontinental Hotel Gardens won an award for its environmental protection work in 1999. However, when the hotel's lease expired, it was torn down to make way for a shopping centre, reducing the 26-acre gardens to a few acres"


"SIAM INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL - Opened in June 1966, the design seemed to resemble a hat worn by an early King of Ratansakosin. The view of its destruction is disgusting"


"RECEPTION, with flowers"



"VIEWS from my room: gardens and pool"


"ROOM"


"PEACOCK near the jogging trail"


"RIVER CHANNEL"

NEW YEAR IN NYC - PART II

STROLLING AROUND THE BIG APPLE - JANUARY 1997




"THE CLOISTERS house the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of art and architecture from medieval Europe religious and secular art. With approximately five thousand works of art from about 800 through the fifteenth century, the Cloisters are located on Fort Tryon Park overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan, showing some of the most dramatic scenery in New York. The building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters and from other monastic sites in southern France. The highlights, of course, are the five medieval Cloisters, and the Unicorn Tapestries, a series of 7 wool and silk tapestries depicting The Hunt of the Unicorn. In the Spanish Room the 3-paneled Altarpiece of the Annunciation, a 15th century work by Robert Campin, is shown. Three of the cloisters have gardens planted according to horticultural information found in medieval treatises and works of art, such as tapestries and stained-glass windows. The first time we were at the Cloisters was in 1979, and we fell in love with the building"


"JAZZ AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD, one of my favourite jazz clubs"


"FERRY - On the way to the Statue of Liberty"




"THE STATUE OF LIBERTY Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. Thus, it makes sense to post on her on July 14th... The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986"



"DOWNTOWN AND THE HUDSON boat tour"


"ELLIS ISLAND is a symbol of America’s immigrant heritage. From 1892 to 1954, this immigrant depot was the main entry facility for immigrants entering the United States. Nearly twelve million landed here in their search of an economic opportunity. The Ellis Island Immigrant Station was designed by architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William Boring, who received a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition for the building's design"


"WTC - Love this picture!"


"WALL STREET, Trinity Church and the Portuguese flag. The flag is no longer there, as the Bank that used to display it moved away"


"NYSE - The NYSE originated on May 17, 1792, when the Buttonwood Agreement was signed by twenty-four stockbrokers outside of 68 Wall Street in New York under a buttonwood tree. On March 8, 1817, the organization drafted a constitution and renamed itself the "New York Stock and Exchange Board". This name was shortened to its current form in 1863. The New York Stock Exchange building at 18 Broad Street opened on April 22, 1903!"


"CHELSEA PIER - Not to be confused with Chelsea F.C. of the Special One - José Mourinho! Lovely sunset"



"UNION SQUARE BIO MARKET, just in front of the Blue Water Grill, a restaurant I like."


"DRAKE SWISSOTEL - Preparing to check out!"

***

FOR THE RECORD - NOV/DEC 1996!

***

On the last post I forgot to mention that still in 1996, and after Madrid and Toledo, I flew once again to New York early November, to Paris mid-November, to Brussels and London by the end of November, to Cape Verde - Sal and Praia - in early December, and finally back to NYC. From all these trips, there is only this conference picture in Praia, Cape Verde, that I post here as a memory of a nice time...



"CAPE VERDE CONFERENCE"