Travel – Page 31

The Magic and Romance of Venice

July 23, 2015~ Travel

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations”
Psalm‬ ‭89‬:‭1‬

Butch and I made our first visit to Venice, Italy in October of 2004. Immediately, I was captured by the storied history and culture of the Venetians. Once again, we were able to return to the magic and romance that this city offers.

Venice is a feast for the senses! From the beauty of the time-washed Venetian architecture, to the taste of the most intense and full bodied espressos, to the haunting sound of a violin in the piazzas, to the smell of freshly baked amaretti cookies, to the feel of the finest silk fabrics, Venice will not disappoint. The best way to see Venice is to simply get lost! Every foot bridge or turn of a corner offers amazing surprises. You can wander for days and never tire of the ancient scenery!

We hope you enjoy our little tour of Venezia!

The Grand Canal
The Rialto Bridge was completed in 1591 and it is a favorite tourist stop with its shops and markets on either side! The Grand Canal is an ancient waterway that snakes through Venice, and is also the busiest. The majority of the city’s traffic cruises up and down this beautiful canal that stretches out over 2 miles! The most famous form of transportation, the gondola Gondola traffic maneuvering the Grand Canal!
Most of the buildings were built between the 13th and 18th century. Breathtaking architecture! The Rialto Bridge is one of only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal and is considered the most beautiful!St. Mark’s Basilica was completed around 1092. The opulent Byzantine design with its gold ground mosaics and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power has given the church the nickname, Church of gold!
Campanile of St. Mark’s church (bell tower) Piazza San Marco (St. Mark Square) is the principal public square of Venice. According to Napoleon, this is “the drawing room of Europe”.

Caffe Florian – one of the oldest coffee houses in the world–complete with an orchestra, perfect weather, and the most prime place for people watching! Caffe Florian has been a caffe of choice for notable artists such as Wagner, Lord Byron, and Charles Dickens. Enjoyed dessert and espresso! View of the lagoon Bridge of Sighs was built in 1600 and is constructed of white limestone. One of hundreds of canals in Venice! Everyday living in Venice! Our view from a Gondola ride in 2004!

This post originally appeared here: La Dolce Vita! Linking with Pieced Pastimes , Silver Pennies , Life on Lakeshore Drive , Thoughts From Alice , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict , Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Charm of Home , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , My Romantic Home , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Hom e, My Flagstaff Home, In The New House, Natasha in Oz, Vintage Refined, Karens Up On The Hill, Grammie Time

Island Hopping

June 22, 2015~ Travel

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭5-6‬

Today is the first full day of summer…the time when most of us take a much-needed vacation! So, pour yourself a glass of iced tea or lemonade and take a break as we visit a couple of beautiful Greek islands among their six thousand! We have explored another Greek island on the blog before and you can read about it here: It’s All Greek To Me!
Corfu is an island off the western coast of Greece and Albania at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea!

Corfu is an Unesco World Heritage site that is loaded with charm and history! Due to the strong Venetian influence, Corfu is one of the most appealing cities in Greece! One of many beautiful gardens! Narrow streets with small shops! The Liston is an elegant arcade fashioned in a Napoleonic-French style! Under the arches are expensive cafes with tables overlooking the Spianada (Esplanade plaza)! I enjoyed an espresso under the beautiful arches! This monastery is home to 8 Greek Orthodox Monks who provided generous hospitality during our visit! A large cat population (more than I could count) inhabit the monastery! The Old Fortress is a Venetian fortress, separated by a moat or sea channel from the rest of the city of Corfu! The earliest fortifications on the site occupied by the Old Fortress dates from around the 6th century AD! The Fortress was used by the Nazis at the end of World War II to imprison The Jews of Corfu! Now we are hopping over to the island of Crete, Greece’s largest island! This Eastern Orthodox monastery now functions as a nunnery! The first mention of the monastery dates back to 1333! We enjoyed this beautiful courtyard along with gorgeous views of the surrounding plateau! No photos were allowed inside the nunnery! Lassithi Plateau on the island of Crete is famous for its windmills! Lake Voulismeni is located at the center of Agios Nikolaos on Crete! A local urban legend has it that the lake is bottomless! Great cafes and restaurants by the lake are the perfect place to people watch particularly in the evening as Greek families promenade before dinner! As we sail away from the island of Crete… …God painted the most gorgeous sunset! Thank you for reading and joining us in our everyday living!

Linking with Pieced Pastimes , Silver Pennies , Life on Lakeshore Drive , Thoughts From Alice , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict , Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Style Sisters , The Charm of Home , The Winthrop Chronicles , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , My Romantic Home , Chic On A Shoestring Decorating , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Hom e, My Flagstaff Home, In The New House, Natasha in Oz, Vintage Refined

Zoom In!

June 8, 2015~ Travel

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16-18‬

We love to travel and certainly wish that we had more time to do so. We thought it would be fun to briefly visit a few of our favorite places! Hope you will grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced sweet tea and join us behind the camera lens as we zoom in on some fascinating places around the globe! You can read more on our Travel page! Paris is a favorite city of mine! The architecture, art, culture, and cuisine is legendary. From Montmartre to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris is a feast for the eyes. The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. We enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine with the illuminated Eiffel Tower as the highlight!
Arc de Triomphe in Paris is located at the center of 12 radiating avenues! Traffic scare for me! tra3 The Champs-élysées in Paris is the world’s most famous boulevard! Butch climbed the 280 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to capture the tree-lined Champs-élysées! tra4 Gardens at the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris! I have visited the palace two times and its opulence, especially the Hall of Mirrors does not disappoint! The Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames and has become an iconic symbol of London! We will return to London this summer! tra5 One of our best trips ever was a train trip through the Canadian Rockies…breathtaking scenery! tra6 The Grand Canal in Venice, also a favorite city of mine! After our first visit I was hopeful that we might return and we did in 2013! The famous gondolas of Venice! You can read more here: La Dolce Vita! The Colosseum in Rome was completed in 80 AD. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators! What an amazing sight to see! Rome is a must see city for its architecture and history! Cinque Terre is a string of 5 villages on the rugged Italian Riviera! The colorful houses and ancient vineyards cling to steep hillsides! We would like to return and hike all 5 villages…we better hurry, age is creeping up! Tallinn, Estonia is a charming city on the Baltic Sea! The cathedral in the Old Town has five onion domes with gilded iron crosses. Butch and I thoroughly enjoyed the cobblestoned and walled Old Town with its cafes and shops! Ancient ruins in Ephesus, Turkey which was an important center for early Christianity. Paul lived in Ephesus and organized missionary activity into other areas! Ephesus is one of the seven churches cited in the Book of Revelation! The ruins were fascinating and it made the book of Ephesians and Acts come alive! This harbor in Rhodes, Greece is thought to be near where the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, once stood! The ancient ruins in Philippi, Greece where the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel! We spent a day touring these ruins- so much to learn! Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea from the captivating island of Crete! The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was constructed between 532 and 537 as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral! Istanbul was a fascinating city to visit with its location straddling both Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait! The grand and ornate Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia was completed in 1756 and was the summer residence of the Russian tsars! You can see more here: The Catherine Palace The winding Bay of Kotor in the Adriatic Sea was once called Europe’s southernmost fjord! Kotor is located in Montenegro. Butch and I were surprised at its beauty! Santorini, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, is one of the most photographed spots in the world! After visiting, we understand why! You can read more here: It’s All Greek To Me! Overlooking the tile roofs of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia! We walked the intact city walls and had incredible views of the Adriatic Sea! You can see more here: Discovering A Pearl A view of Jerusalem at sunset from the Mount of Olives! You can read all about our trip to The Holy Land here: Walking Where He Walked Part One and Part Two.The ruins from ancient Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea! King Herod built it into one of the largest cities in the Roman world! The iconic Golden Gate Bridge! We have seen this construction wonder several times and it is still amazing!