Tag: Travelure

I was all set for the utter predictability of an Island holiday - lazing around on the beach, sipping a fruity cocktail, indulging in some seafood fine-dining, beer by the poolside... - Mauritius - See? No Sea! Part-1 - Travelure ©

Its steep sloping roofs, the turret-like chimneys, dimensional alcoves, symmetrical arches, rectangular windows, and circular ventilators provide a pleasing look to an otherwise routine facade. - Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, France - Travelure ©

Fouquet entertained the king in his lavish palace in 1661. While it impressed the king, just three weeks later Fouquet was arrested on the charges of treason. - Chateau Vaux le Vicomte, Maincy, France - Travelure ©

Singh is King, a Bollywood hit, used this temple complex with its beckoning architecture in a peppy song-and-dance sequence. And that is not the only film crew that shot there. Karnak temple has provided an attractive setting for some big banner Hollywood movies too. - Karnak Temple - A Shrine of Amun Ra - Travelure ©

...many significant sites litter the west bank. Like the valleys of kings and queens, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, and the colossi of Memnon. UNESCO inscribed them on its World Heritage List in 1979. - Luxor West Bank - A Bumper Crop of Heritage - Travelure ©

This temple is dedicated to Khnum, the ram-headed creator, who shaped humans on his potter’s wheel. Ancient Egyptian mythology considers Khnum androgynous, its male manifestation being Khnum, and the female, Neith. - Temple of Khnum, Esna, Egypt - The Ram-headed God - Travelure ©

Ancient Egyptian history placed a great deal of importance on this cult, as it signified the triumph of good over evil. And all pharaohs claimed to be incarnations of Horus. - Temple of Horus, Edfu, Egypt - Fountainhead of a Cult - Travelure ©

I call it a Siamese Twin from Egyptian mythology as it is one-of-a-kind in entire Egypt - perhaps the only double temple dedicated to two gods, Sobek, and Horus. - Kom Ombo Temple - A Siamese Twin from Egyptian Mythology - Travelure ©

Isis is associated with funeral rites, but also as the giver of life, a healer, and a protector of kings. Little wonder they represent her with a throne on her head. - Temple of Isis at Philae, Egypt - Travelure ©

It was a hot summer day, the temperature hovering around 35°C. When a fellow traveller complained of the heat, our guide was quick to point out the residents of Pompeii faced 20 times the heat on a fateful day in 1st century CE. - Pompeii - A Prehistoric Frozen Moment - Travelure ©

Florence has more. A lot more. Keep walking around this historic district, and at every turn, you will make an eye-popping discovery. Even walking the same route will throw up newer surprises you would have missed during your first or even second walk. - Florence - The Birthplace of Renaissance - Travelure ©

The Vatican is also a world leader in per capita wine consumption. And then there is the ‘Popes per square kilometre’ statistic that works out to over 2 since the area of the state is less than half a square kilometre. - The Vatican - A Country Within a City - Travelure ©

Roman history dates back to 753 BCE, but, according to archeological evidence, humans have lived in the city for the last 14,000 years. So much so the 1st-century BCE Roman poet Tibullus called it an eternal city. - Rome Was Not Built in a Day - Travelure ©

Calling it City Palace is misleading as it houses 11 different palaces. Those splendid palaces, though built by different rulers, bear a remarkable similarity. Many towers, domes, and arches embellish this complex. - Udaipur City Palace - Travelure ©

As a living fort, it has seen a huge influx of tourists savouring pre-modernist lifestyle. They come to live like locals but seldom stay true to the cause. - Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan - Travelure ©

Today, it may be the crowning glory of Jaipur, but let us not forget that Sawai Jai Singh founded Jaipur only in the early 18th century, while Amber existed since the latter half of the 9th century! - Amber (Amer) Fort, Jaipur - Travelure ©

Besides being a UNESCO Creative City, Jaipur boasts two more UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Jantar Mantar, and the Amber (Amer) Fort. But summing up Jaipur heritage as just these two attractions would be like treating the tip of the iceberg as the entire iceberg. - Jaipur - The Pink City - Travelure ©

For starters, besides housing 228 apartments, it also houses 4600 sq. mt. of retail space, 1600 sq. mt. of HORECA (hotels, restaurants, and cafes), and a 4-storeyed underground parking that can accommodate over 1200 cars. - Architectural Marvel Markthal Rotterdam

Join me on this photo tour and check out some of the iconic architectural structures of this archeological park that have survived the ravages of time from as early as the 8th century CE. - Champaner-Pavagarh Archeological Park Gujarat India

The clever use of the natural landscape created an extraordinary environment of tranquil beauty at Skogskyrkogarden. So much so it has had a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world.

Beginning at Mount Carmel’s base, the gardens extend almost one kilometre (0.6 miles) up the side of the mountain. These beautifully-landscaped gardens cover around 200,000 sq mt (or about 2 million sq ft) of land. - The Bahá'í Gardens Haifa Israel

When it was being built, red bricks were a new construction material. The masons were so fascinated with bricks that they kept the brickwork exposed wherever they could. They essentially used bricks as a decorative material.

My two brief interactions with the Visa Officer Mihai Secere left me wondering if he was a white supremacist. I also wondered if Romania Embassy has deliberately chosen the current Application Form Submission process just to discourage Indian Tourists from visiting Romania. It also struck me that perhaps this process could be the reason why VFS Global doesn't offer the Romania Visa service anymore. - Romania Visa for Indians - All the best!

A 'World Photography Day' Special. Register for FREE to view. Besides enumeration of 7 Deadly Sins of Travel Photography, this post also contains a detailed summary, a link to the slide deck, and a link to the full-length video recording of my presentation in TBEX Ostrava, Czech Republic.