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 …
Category Archives: Postcards
Postcard #1 – Clusane sul Lago – Italy
Clusane del Lago is on Lake Iseo, the smallest of the northern Italian lakes. We saw the restaurant as we were riding towards our destination of Paratica 5 k further along the lake and booked a table for the way back. The view was stunning! Jean Michel ordered fried lake fish while I had a delicious scalloppina …
Postcard: A Windmill in Gironde – A moulin à vent en Gironde
As you can see, this is a very different windmill from the post mills we have in the Loire. Comme vous pouvez voir, ce moulin est très différent des moulins cavier qu’on trouve partout dans la vallée de la Loire.
Postcard from Gironde – Le carrelet
These square fishing nets, called carrelets in French, are raised and lowered with a winch. Carrelet is also the name given to the little huts built next to the net so that amateur fishermen will not only be kept dry but also also have a place to have a bite to eat and a game of …
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 …
Postcard from Vensac : Painted Pillars – Piliers peints
We are having a little weekend away in the Médoc area near Bordeaux. These painted pillars are in the Romanesque church of Saint Peter in Vensac below. The apse was built in the 12th century while the nave and polychrome decorations were added in the 17th century along with the spire. Nous passons un petit week-end dans …
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Postcard from Cyprus – The Salt Lake in Larnaca
There is a legend about the salt lake just outside Larnaca. When Lazarus asks an old woman for food and drink, she refused, claiming that her vines had dried up, to which Lazarus replied: “May your vines be dry and be a salt lake forever more.” A more scientific explanation is that the salt water penetrates the porous …
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Postcard from Cyprus – Petra tou romiou
Legend has sit that it was at Petra Tou Romiou (“the Rock of the Greek”) also known as Aphrodite’s Rock, that the goddess arose from the foam. It is a rocky piillar, a sea stack in Pafos, Cyprus. “Eternal youth” is also priomised to anyone who swims around the rock, but bathing is dangerous. We didn’t test the legend. The …
Postcard from Cyprus – Byzantine Art
Cyprus is known for its Byzantine art. The finest example is the Kykkos Monastery founded in the 11th century and an immportant reference in the Orthodox world. The loggias, balconies and corridors are covered in gold-leaf mosaics and frescoes. Chypre est connu pour son art byzantin. Aujourd’hui nous avons visité le monastère de Kykkos fondé au 11ème …
Postcard from Cyprus – Salamis Ruins
I wanted blue skies, sun and interesting things to see. We’ve found them in Cyprus! These are part of the Salamis Ruins in the north of Cyprus (the Turkish part). It was the capital of Cyprus up until the 4th century BC and contains many Roman ruins. Ayios Ephiphanios Basilica was the last basilica to be …