Sweden’s best-preserved Church Town, Gammelstad
With no water supply, no heating facility, and no provision for cooking, these tiny houses advocate traditional simple living. This spartan lifestyle continues to define the Church Town, even now. - Sweden’s best-preserved Church Town, Gammelstad - Travelure ©
Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris France
Once on the roof, I figured why they called it Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). It almost seems to be watching over the city of Paris. I also realised the gargoyles were ornamental decorations for rain spouts. - Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris France - Travelure ©
Proboscis Monkeys in Sabah Borneo
The joyous exclamations of successful captures punctuated the combined clickety-clack of our cameras. But the light was fading fast. The monkeys were slowing down... - Proboscis Monkeys in Sabah Borneo - Travelure ©
Kumbh Mela India – World’s Largest Gathering
Kumbh conjures up an image of an ocean of humanity. Rightly so as an estimated 150 million people will visit Prayag for 2019 Ardh Kumbh. That is, one in every nine Indians. - Our Planet's Landmarks Series #17
Gobekli Tepe Turkey – World’s oldest temple?
Göbekli Tepe is the most ancient site of humans practising religion. Schmidt called it the first human-built holy place. The religion originated here. - Göbekli Tepe Turkey - World’s oldest temple? - Travelure ©
Pokhara – The Jewel of Nepal
Yet, not all places in the Himalayas offer it all. But Pokhara? Well, it presents it all. Wrapped as a neat bundle. Complete with icing. And cherry topping. So, calling it our planet's landmark will not be wrong. - Pokhara - The Jewel of Nepal - Travelure ©
Gaziantep Turkey – A UNESCO Gastronomy Creative City
In one room, over a dozen traditional chefs were at work. They were creating sheets of white flour, thinner than muslin. The room had a haze of flour. The rolling pins were a yard and a half long. These sheets were being sheared off the pins in delicate layers. And all this, happening on a table over 25 feet long! - Gaziantep Turkey - A UNESCO Gastronomy Creative City - Travelure ©
Red Fort or Lal Qila Delhi India
48,000 people once lived within these walls. Shah Jahan built Lal Qila as a city unto itself — palaces, mosques, markets, and a stream of paradise running through it all.
Simbel Wonder – Abu Simbel Egypt
In the 1960s, a team dismantled Abu Simbel into large stone blocks. Those blocks were then transported from their original location to a sandstone cliff - Simbel Wonder - Abu Simbel Egypt - Travelure ©
Sri Lanka’s Ancient Capital Anuradhapura
Here, dressing up Buddha happens 3-4 times a day as worshippers from far and wide bring 1100-feet long cloth and drape the Dagoba along its circumference. Since the belief is that Buddha's relics are inside the Dagoba, this ritual is symbolic of treating the Dagoba as Buddha and dressing it as a Buddhist monk - Sri Lanka's Ancient Capital Anuradhapura - Travelure ©
Historic Areas of Istanbul Turkey
Straddling two continents, and between two seas, Istanbul enjoys a unique position. A European and an Asian side. A natural strait - Bosphorus - separates the two. Earlier going by the names Byzantium and Constantinople, it is home to over 15 million people. - Historic Areas of Istanbul - Travelure ©
Ngorongoro Crater Arusha Region Tanzania
The sight took my breath away. Eight feet away, at my eye level, a lioness was enjoying the afternoon sun. She glanced at me, got bored, looked away, and stretched to catch a slumber... - Ngorongoro Crater Arusha Region Tanzania - Travelure ©
Auschwitz – Homage to the WW-II Holocaust Victims
‘The plunder of human beings was complete. They chose the healthy ones for a slow death through overwork, exhaustion, and starvation; while the others were straightaway shot, or gassed.’ - Auschwitz - Homage to the WW-II Holocaust Victims - Travelure ©
Humayun Tomb New Delhi India
If Humayun Tomb were a man, he would be a 449-year old trendsetter. Affluent, disciplined, able-bodied, mature, suave, big-hearted, and attractive. Let us see why. - Humayun Tomb New Delhi India - Travelure ©
Bone Church Kutna Hora Czech Republic
So, after about 30,000 burials, the bodies were taken out and housed in a crypt to make way for newer inmates. Subsequently, as expected, the place kept getting more newly-deads.
Old City of Jerusalem Israel
The narrow lanes lined with petty trade and souvenirs. Manned by folks as old as the place. Bustle and buzz of a beehive. Canopied shop fronts forcing dim bulbs to light up a bright day. And I was a character in French Orientalist Charles Theodore Frere’s ‘The Souk’. - Old City of Jerusalem Israel - Travelure ©
The Underground M1 Budapest
'How do I get to Szechenyi Thermal Baths?'
'Take the M1.'
'And to Opera?'
'M1.'
'Hero's Park?'
You guessed it, 'M1.'
A post by Travelure ©
Unmasking Ibiza – Dalt Vila and More
Ibiza was the first line of defence for mainland Spain against the seafarers! The original Acropolis had low and narrow walls. Suited for the mediaeval warfare of spears and swords. - Unmasking Ibiza - Dalt Vila and More - Travelure ©
Varanasi – The Grand Dame of India
For Hindus, Varanasi is a teleport to heaven. The belief is when you travel from here, you carry no baggage of Karma. You also achieve Moksha or freedom from the cycle of life and death. Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats are the portkeys. From here, the cremated rise to the heavens to join their ancestors... Varanasi - The Grand Dame of India - Travelure ©
Schonbrunn Palace Vienna Austria
As one of the more popular tourist attractions of Vienna (over 3,800,000 tourists visited it in 2017), its sprawling gardens offer a healthy competition to the brilliantly manicured gardens in Chateau Versailles near Paris.
Royal Observatory Greenwich London
Let’s travel to that landmark where our planet comes full circle. And, East meets West. Beyond establishing the relative location of places on our planet, it provides the basis of relative time across the globe. I talk of the Prime Meridian. - Royal Observatory Greenwich London - Travelure ©
Sydney Opera House Australia
Local authorities held a worldwide competition. They invited designs for National Opera House at Bennelong Point. The competition attracted over 200 entries. Swedish architect Jørn Utzon's winning entry broke the mould. It embraced an expressionist style to create a modern-day icon. - Sydney Opera House Australia - Travelure ©
World’s Tallest Building Burj Khalifa Dubai
Khalifa means ‘leader’. An apt word to describe a structure that has broken most world records for architecture. Tallest. Highest. Longest. First. Most. These are only some of the superlatives used for this magical creation. The reason why I call it magical is that you can watch the sunset from the base of the building. Then, get into an elevator right to the top, and watch the sunset all over again. - World’s Tallest Building Burj Khalifa Dubai - Travelure ©
Shore Temple — Pallava Marvel, UNESCO Legacy
The symbolism of how a kingdom shows its domination hasn't changed over the millennia. Ancient Egypt demonstrated their domination by building pyramids; the Qin Dynasty in China did so by building the Great Wall; and the Pallava kings from South India, by building Shore Temple. - Shore Temple Mahabalipuram Tamilnadu
