Spissky castle in eastern Slovakia, one of the largest fortified sites in central Europe, can be seen from afar. It was built in the 12th century. Before 1464 it belonged to the kings of Hungary and resisted Tatar attacks in the 13th century. A gothic basilica was added during the 13th century and a …
Category Archives: Architecture
Postcard #14 – Wooden Churches, Maramures, Romania
Today we visited a large number of wooden churches in the Maramures region in the north of Romania, most of which were built in the 16th century entirely of wood, including the roof. They are often hidden among trees up above the village and surrounded by graves of various shapes and sizes. Inside are wall …
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Postcard #11 – Voronet Manastiria
We arrived at Voronet Monastery in Bucovina at the end of the day which meant very few people and excellent light. Built in 1488 by Stefan cel Mare, the church is known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. It is one of the 11 monasteries in the area listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage …
Postcard #9 – Biertan Fortified Church – L'église fortifiée de Biertan
Transylvania in Romania is known for its fortified churches. That of Biertan was buillt in the 12th century in the form of a hall-church in the late Gothic style. Between 1572 and 1857, it was the seat of Saxon episcopacy. The fortifications consist of 3 rows of exterior fortifications, 7 towers and 2 bastions. It …
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Postcard #2 – Breschia, Italy
Today we went in the other direction on the cycle route between Iseo Lake and Brescia to visit the delightful little town of Brescia with its broad spectrum of architecture. Here, you can see the 15th century side of Piazza de la Loggia. The second photo was taken in a pasticceria en route at Paderno …
The Painted Wall – Le mur peint
Some surprising art on a very old restored building. De l’art surprenant sur une très vieille maison restaurée.
Roses and Salt – Roses et sel
This beautiful setting for roses of every type is at Place du grenier à sel in Blois, once the site of a salt storehouse. The second photo was taken at dusk, just ten days earlier. Ce bel écrin de roses de toutes sortes se trouve à la place du grenier à sel à Blois. La deuxième …
The Old Presbytery – Le vieux presbytère
Today we participated in a series of private visits organised by a group called “Maisons paysannes de France” (Country Houses of France). This was the last, an old presbytery in Feings, most of which was built in the 18th century, though some parts are much older. The weather was perfect, which helped! Aujourd’hui nous avons …
The Chocolate Ruin – La Ruine du chocolat
I took this photo in rue de l’Hôtel-Pasquier in Les Grouëts as we were walking home from Bread-Baking Day yesterday. The house used to belong to the son of Victor-Auguste Poulain who founded one of France’s oldest chocolate brands, Chocolats Poulain. Albert Poulain built Bellevue in 1910 when the first tram line was inaugurated in Blois so that …
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Postcard from Soulac-sur-Mer
These delightful houses are in Soulac-sur-Mer, on tip of the estuary of the Garonne River near Bordeaux. They were built during three periods: 1860 to 1890, 1890 to 1920 and 1920 to 1940. Fortunately, this surprising collection of holiday homes – brick and stone with a touch of coulour and decorative enamel – has been …